Employers, here are eleven steps you should be doing to prepare for a safe and productive return of employees to the workplace.
- Ensure you have consistent, firm base policies for safety and well-being.
- You may need global as well as location-specific policies.
- Poll your employees for specific concerns and questions.
- Understand that the current “level playing field” of everyone working virtually will change when some of the workforce returns to the offices.
- Shift the expectations of job roles if someone wants to work virtually most of the time. What requirements would there be for coming into the office, if at all?
- Think ahead to what tools, technology and operating policies will be needed for the future
- Keep your company culture front and center.
- Stay inclusive. Each person will have their own timeline, circumstance and tolerance levels.
- Find ways to maintain the connection between those who are in the office and those who choose to remain at home.
- Don’t rush your employees.
- Don’t rush yourselves.
*These tips were provided by senior executives at IBM, Mastercard and The Ball Corporation as part of an ongoing series of discussions with communications professionals on best practices for communicating during the COVID-19 crisis. Click on the image to watch the full webinar and to hear real-life examples of how they are handling the pace of communications, a remote-based workforce and the logistics of returning to an office environment.
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