4 Tips to Help You Transition Back to the Office

1. Employee Health-First Approach

With COVID-19 still affecting the world, it is important to think of employee health first. Although you might be inclined to come in to work if you wake up only slightly feverish or with a runny nose, it is better to stay home than to risk getting the rest of the office sick. According to Gallup, “Employees' pandemic-era experiences have reshaped their views of the workplace: how their work influences their overall wellbeing, how they want to interact with their colleagues, and how much flexibility they expect from their employers.” Given the recent circumstances, managers have been able to help support employee’s long-term wellbeing and engagement by being more understanding in circumstances caused by the pandemic. This people-first approach allows for better relationships between employees and managers inside and outside of the office!

2. Follow Safety Protocols

As businesses begin to reopen and employees start transitioning back to office life, it is important that these businesses continue to practice and follow the safety protocols put into place by the CDC. Employees should continue to remain six feet apart from each other, wash their hands frequently and efficiently, continue to social distance, and most importantly, stay home when they are feeling sick! If your business is looking for free social distancing and COVID-19 office signs, check out our "Back to Business Printables" blog. For even more tips on how to avoid getting sick while transitioning back to work, read our blog “How to Keep Your Home and Office Germ Free”!

3. Offer Freedom and Flexibility to Employees

Although some managers and employees might be eager to get back to the office, it is important to continue to allow for freedom and flexibility in schedules as businesses and schools adjust to new pandemic protocols. According to the PWC, allowing employees to work from home part time during this transition as well as going hybrid has proven to help reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 among the workplace. It is important for leaders to understand how the psychology of the American workplace will shift because of COVID-19 and plan accordingly to this new era.

4. Sustain the Personal Element of Your Workplace Culture

Although a lot of meetings have turned to video chats and phone calls, it is important to maintain the team and personal element of your workplace culture. Continue to reach out and check in on employees and ask how they are doing during this time. Just because businesses are transitioning back to the office doesn’t mean this level of connection should stop.  As in-office work resumes, leaders should cultivate a work environment in which workers can continue to connect with one another, and leaders, on a more personal level.