It’s happening. Going back to the office may officially start on July 19th. After Boris Johnson announces working from home will no longer be necessary next Monday, many UK employees have mixed feelings about their return back to the office. Having spent most of the last year working from home, employers must make their transition as easy, calm, and accessible as possible.
Many individuals are in high spirits right now. With the promise of morning coffees and team lunch breaks, returning back to the office is more exciting than ever. However, some members of your team may be feeling apprehensive. In addition to the lengthy effects of covid on mental wellbeing, accessibility and nerves of toxic workplaces could potentially cause overwhelming stress.
Regardless of whether your people are looking forward to going back to the office or not, make this transition as unchallenging as possible.
Why make going back to the office easy?
Your people rely on you.
As a manager, employer, or team leader, your team needs you. They rely on you to do what’s best for them and help them achieve the best they possibly can.
Increases in productivity
Work productivity takes a huge hit when your people are stressed. 41% of stressed workers say stress leads to a loss in productivity. Therefore, making the transition as manageable as possible is crucial to success.
Employees are quitting
We’ve seen a massive increase in employees simply leaving their job when they are no longer able to work from home. Going back to the office should be appealing to minimise this.
How to make going back to the office easy?
Communicate with your team
Firstly, if you ask how they feel about their return back to the office, you can gauge how to help them. Do they want to return? How do they want to return? You will then establish the groundwork for your next move.
Give them options where possible.
If you can, enable individuals to choose, for example, their hours in the office or days in the office. Consequently, you will ease their transition, and they will feel more in control.
Focus on rewards and recognition
Once your people have returned back to the office, focus on offering better perks at work for good work. Over 90% of employees feel employee recognition is vital at work. Therefore, offering them incentives individuals back to work harder. For example, you could use employee vouchers to say thank you for your hard work!
To summarise, not everyone will feel the same about the return back to the office. In addition, it will be hard to navigate who feels what. But, building solid foundations for communication, trust and recognition will help your people feel confident and comfortable.
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