Returning to the office – more than a place of work

It is difficult to imagine life back in the office post Covid-19. While there are still lots of unknowns we do know that life will be different. We also know employees will be feeling anxious. We have been working with businesses to consider how they prepare for when we do return. It demands a thoughtful and all-encompassing communications and engagement plan to ensure your employees and visitors feel welcomed, feel informed and feel safe. And as we all know, how you are protecting your employees is the number one priority for businesses right now.

What we have learnt is that the office is more than a place of work. It is where we connect with our colleagues, where we unlock creativity and where culture thrives. People are missing those connections and there is a desire to ‘be back together’. Employees will undoubtedly be worried about their commute and their overall daily pattern when they return to the office. They will want to know that their business will support them to avoid packed trains, queueing for lunch and simply managing in the new world. Start to think about your flexible working policy and what more you might offer.

Communicate, communicate, communicate so people feel supported. Use your building to signpost at every opportunity what is in place to support them. Be clear on how the building works and the role of your people in making it a safe place to be for everybody. Ensure there are forums where they can ask questions and perhaps offer their own ideas.

Organisations need to show employees how they are safe. This is especially important if your facilities support is outsourced or delivered by a landlord or third party. Work together to identify the opportunities. It is still the employer’s accountability to build confidence, you need to be specific about how you are stepping up to this responsibility. Employees will want to feel confident that their business is ‘looking after them and their wellbeing’ and so trust that they will be safe at work. And when they feel safe they will be at their best – for the business and their teams.