The notion of a post-COVID “new normal” is almost a cliché at this point. But in the context of the workplace, it’s an undeniable fact that the global pandemic has fundamentally changed the way many employees and employers alike view the return to work. From priorities and perspectives, to policies and protocols, understanding what factors are likely to be important from the standpoint of not just health and wellness, but safety and security, is going to be a critical task for decision-makers in the weeks and months ahead.
What follows is a review of why professional workplaces won’t return to normal for a very long time (if ever), a look at the safety and security protocols that will be here to stay, and the thought process and strategic steps that executives need to adopt if they want to successfully navigate a potentially tricky reopening process.
Sensitivity and patience needed for reopening
It’s critically important that companies don’t rush the reopening process. Regardless of whether it’s an office setting or a manufacturing space take the time to think through the reopening and reintegration details — and what the implications might be for your team. Timelines are not enough. People are concerned and want to know what you’re doing to optimize health and safety. Fundamentally, they want to know that you are proceeding with due caution and deliberation. To that end, it’s better to overcommunicate about what you’re doing and why. Make it clear that it’s ok to take time. Ease back into it. Manage the process with sensitivity and patience.
An re-opening roadmap
Reopening dates or deadlines may seem arbitrary and could be cause for concern or conflict. To avoid that issue, establish a clear roadmap for integration. How will you communicate with your team? Will you begin with key personnel or a staggered rollout? What health and safety measures will be in place?
Key planning priorities include:
- Physical security of the space
- Cyber security measures to maintain virtual work options when/as needed
- Health and hygiene measures including cleaning and ventilation
- Mask policy
- Vaccination policy
- Contact tracing policies and protocols
Cover your bases when it comes to employees who are still working virtually by making sure boundaries and performance and oversight expectations are clear. Recognize that a “split” office can feed the perception that some employees are receiving preferential treatment or are being held to different expectations.
Understand the security implications of reopening
Recognize that the way employees feel about the reopening process isn’t an abstract or esoteric distraction — it has a direct impact on performance and productivity, and may have significant security implications. Make sure you have the bandwidth to integrate and accommodate people who may be grieving, or who may have developed substance abuse issues during the pandemic. Mental health issues are spiking, and even employees who have managed to keep it together are likely to be carrying a higher than usual amount of emotional baggage.
Get out ahead of potential problems by managing both the messaging and the process. Make sure all managers are on the same page and are operating with clarity and consistency. Some employees may be questioning the need to come back at all, which is a potential source of friction. If all managerial tiers understand and can communicate the philosophy, logic, and operational approach passed down from the C-Suite level, some of those concerns can be alleviated and conflicts can be avoided.
Empathy is key for "return to work" plans
Emotions are high, and many returning employees will be under a great deal of stress. When you add in potential disagreements about things like masks and vaccinations, the potential is there for flash points for violence and conflict to flare up. Which makes it all the more important to set and enforce clear policies, but also to proceed with empathy and understanding. Make it clear to employees that they don’t have to come in if they feel unsafe or unwell. Even something as simple as allergies can be disquieting for fellow employees on high alert for signs of illness in their coworkers. The last thing decision-makers and managers want to do is to exacerbate or contribute to turmoil or tension by pushing too hard or rushing employees back into situations where they aren’t comfortable.
Because so many people are eager to get back to normal and resume business as usual, it’s easy to forget that there are large groups of people that don’t feel the same way. Reopening too quickly after a year or more of trauma and disruption has the potential for missteps — or even catastrophe. It isn’t a light switch you can simply switch on, and those in a position to understand that (especially HR professionals and security experts) need to feel empowered to communicate with senior management to make sure they appreciate the ramifications of their reopening decisions. The smart and safe move is to proceed with thoughtfulness, patience, courage and empathy. Not just because it’s the right thing to do — but because it’s the smart thing to do for any company that wants to minimize conflict, disruption and discord, and maximize productivity and positivity in a post-COVID environment.
