Returning to Work: Are you Ready?

We’ve all been sheltering-in-place, working remotely, video conferencing, homeschooling and trying to keep our sanity and economy on an even keel for months. Many parts of the country are clamoring to get back to some sense of normalcy. The term “new normal” has been common in reports and rhetoric but it’s difficult to envision.

Many organizations adjusted rapidly to the COVID-19 crisis. Some were unsure what to do with numerous new restrictions and uncertainty. The U.S. Federal government, along with numerous states, are encouraging the reopening of businesses. Some company leaders are anxious to follow their lead.

While returning to work may be good for the economy in the short term, it may have long-term implications. Business leaders should consider organizational facets — from employee safety and cleanliness to organizational structure and employee privacy — prior to reopening. They must balance their decision if now’s the right time to bring employees back into the workplace against whether their current model actually works.

Re:form Communications is completing a detailed Return to Work Report. While we make our final edits, here is a glimpse of some key considerations for determining a return-to-work plan.

Start with what’s already vetted

A business continuity or crisis plan is a good place to start. There are most likely elements that can be adapted for use today. New Zealand’s government acted quickly to the COVID-19 outbreak in late February, when their first known case entered the country. The Ministry for Business Innovation and Employment issued guidelines early, based on the country’s 2017 influenza action plan, to understand the challenges businesses could face during, and after, an infectious disease outbreak. Their plan included:

• How to manage employees, clients or vendors getting sick;

• Handling absenteeism due to personal quarantines, domestic or childcare issues;

• What to do if additional lockdowns take place should spikes occur; and,

• Managing stalled or postponed projects for lack of client or third-party input, or employee availability.

As a result, the entire country has only 1,503 positive cases and 21 deaths at the time of this post.

If your organization is in need of a formal crisis plan, we can help.

Ensure employees are ready

There’s no doubt it’s been an anxious and stressful for time for employees and their families. Uncertainty about health, finances and job security can take a toll. Some healthcare professionals are already diagnosed with PTSD related to stress and work environments. With national reports of domestic abuse, depression and other issues on the rise due to stay-home orders, helping employees find the resources they need to stay safe is an ongoing priority.

HR leaders should remind employees that they’re not alone; that most everyone needs extra help sometimes; that there’s no shame or embarrassment in asking for it — and that accessing employee assistance programs is always completely confidential.

Leaders must step up and make “people first” decisions, even if the ability to return to the office exists in their part of the country. Bringing teams back too early can result in additional employee concerns, such as workplace privacy with COVID-19 testing, how to manage teams if they do not want to return, maintaining social distancing inside elevators and buildings, and considerations for asymptomatic carriers…just to name a few.

Consider what’s best and make decisions that meet the safety and well-being of employees.

Get the right information to make informed decisions

Accurate, reliable and timely information is vital to effective decision-making in almost any context. It helps leaders make different decisions from those normally made in a given situation. The absence of accurate information can lead to confusion and potentially catastrophic outcomes. It’s important that leaders receive fact-based, credible information and data from reliable sources inside as well as outside of the organization.

Did teams capture feedback on what is working, and what isn’t, while working remotely? That’s valuable intelligence to help guide leaders forward. Maintain the current process — or implement one — to gather these frontline insights. Discussing what’s been learned, as well as consistently communicating to the workforce, can mitigate everyone’s anxiety about the unknown and provide a sense of control.

James Rhee, CEO of fashion retailer Ashley Stewart, relied on in-store managers and employees to report the situation in each local market to get a better understanding of their challenges and customer expectations. Because their clientele could be particularly affected by the virus, the company ultimately closed stores, boosted their online presence and regularly contacted customers by phone, not to sell but to ask, “how are you doing?” and continue nurturing these relationships.

It’s not one size fits all

There are a range of possible outcomes in this situation. It’s too soon to tell what may emerge but resilient leaders will be at their best. Evaluating the specifics as they apply to an industry, as well as understanding how well a community or region has met the criteria for reopening, is critical to determining how and when employees leave their homes and return to work.

This and additional detail on return to work plans can be found in Re:form Communication’s Return to Work Report launching next week. In addition, we can help with related services such as:  

• Business continuity planning

• Employee engagement during the return-to-work migration

• Executive messaging

• Business transformation communication

Call or email us to learn more.

Photo credits: Jud Mackrill, Austin Distel, Aw Creative