Transitioning Your Staff Back into the Office
Since COVID restrictions are slowly being eased throughout Australia the return to regular work along with the transitioning of staff back into the office is imminent for many employers.
With this in mind, the process of returning back to the office can be detrimental to employers and their employees if not handled correctly. Businesses that fail to have solid policies and procedures in place can be at risk of a disjointed transition that may in turn have repercussions in the coming months.
For many businesses this process may feel overwhelming and daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Ensuring you have a solid plan in place that creates a safe, seamless and positive reintegration to the office to key.
Here are four essential processes for a seamless transition from day one:
Staggering Staff
The larger the numbers, the bigger the risk. Offices that have larger employee numbers are at a higher risk - unfortunately with COVID, it’s a numbers game.
Staggering staff is crucial when returning back to the office. This can be carried out in a range of way such as;
· On/Off Policy: 50% in the office, 50% WFH (on a weekly or daily basis)
· Rotating roster system
· Shorter hours in the office
· Staggered start times (morning & afternoon start times)
Choose a process that is suitable for your business. Every business is different so think about the workload – you will need to ensure you have coverage for all employees during core hours whether they are still working remotely or in the office.
WFH Support
The transition isn’t going to happen overnight. With this is mind, it is important to maintain a remote working option till you are comfortable having 100% capacity in the office. This maybe a solution for the coming months or for some businesses the coming years.
Swinging between full capacity in the office or WFH is not ideal. You want to approach the transition slowly and with ease, otherwise it could see offices back into full lockdown mode in no time. In addition, it is highly disruptive not only to staff but even clients.
Many businesses for certain reasons have found that WFH is going to be their new “normal” - This might be to reduce costs, however we are seeing that majority of businesses are eager to return back to the office not only to re-establish the business but more so, for staff morale.
Office Set-Up
Returning back to the office means re-evaluating the physical set-up of the office. With employee workstations previously situation next to each another to encourage a collegiate environment, this style of working will need to be reconfigured to ensure social distancing measures are in place.
Employee related events and meeting will also need to be re-assessed including the limiting of staffing numbers and in some cases cancelling these practices completely.
Shared spaces such as break out areas and kitchens will need to incorporate certain practices seeing limited numbers of staff usage at any one time along with strict hygiene practices.
Culture Rebuild
Since COVID hit, companies have worked even harder than ever to create a solid, supportive company culture. WFH has seen businesses communicate with their remote staff in a variety of fun and creative ways - ensuring a positive and high performing workplace morale.
Continuing this morale when returning to the office is key, however be aware that part of the company culture will need to be rebuilt from scratch. This might be due to staff redundancies or resignations since COVID, or the fact that some employees are hesitant about returning to the office. A lot has changed for staff over the last few months. So, it is important for manager to foster a supportive, transparent and communicative working culture when returning to the office. By doing so, you will creative a thriving and motivated culture which is important to the success of any business and its employees.
For updated information on COVID-19 work health and safety head to safe work australia https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/covid-19-information-workplaces
Need help transitioning your staff back into the office? Contact The Stitch Team – We are here to help.
