How to Reintroduce Employees to the Workplace After the COVID-19 Lockdown

Employers, owners, and managers are looking for ways to not only return to work, but also to provide a safe workplace for their employees, clients, and customers.

Back to Work Guidelines for Employers and HR Teams: A COVID-19 Recovery Plan

Image Source

The CDC has strict guidelines for how, when, and where employees can return to work. Thus, any employer looking to return to “business as usual” in the coming months is in for a rude awakening. You can protect the health and wellness of your employees in the “new normal” and successfully transition them back to work by incorporating the following tips.

Ensure Open and Frequent Communication

As you reintroduce employees to the workplace, new safety measures or changes in the physical environment can disrupt business processes, and your team’s focus.

By ensuring an open line of communication with your team, you facilitate a safer workplace, while providing assurances to staff regarding their safety and future roles in your business.

Clearly communicate new policies and procedures to ensure employees you are looking after their health and safety as much as possible. Avoid leaving employees in the dark. Make getting their input and feedback a part of the reintroduction process.

Continue Work-From-Home If Possible

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically shifted the workplace landscape. So much so that a Gartner survey revealed 74% of CFOs and finance leaders will transition a minimum 5% of their previously on-site workforce to permanent remote positions post-COVID-19. Businesses have no choice but to adapt. One of the best ways to do so is by continuing to offer work-from-home options for your employees, contractors, and workers whenever possible. 

Businesses need to be increasingly flexible and sensitive to the concerns of employees who feel their work should remain entirely remote. 

Incorporate a Hybrid Work Model

A recent Hibob study found that only 60% of employees are comfortable returning to the office environment. That means up to 40% of your team may not be ready to return to the workplace. 

One way to accommodate work-from-home employees and those returning to the office is to integrate a hybrid work model, wherein remote and in-office workers have the ability to choose how, where, and when they perform their job functions. 

The hybrid-work model is gaining popularity with industry leaders like Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter, who stated, “If our employees are in a role and situation that enables them to work from home and they want to continue to do so forever, we will make that happen. If not, our offices will be their warm and welcoming selves, with some additional precautions, when we feel it’s safe to return.”

That said, organizations should also make it a priority to ensure remote employees remain safe and healthy during and after the pandemic.

Identify COVID-19 Workplace Transmission Risks

If and when your employees return to work, you’ll need to identify workplace areas that could potentially pose a health risk. The CDC states that employers should:

• Conduct a hazard assessment of your workplace and identify potential hazards that could increase risk for the spread of COVID-19.
• Develop hazard controls using the hierarchy of controls to reduce transmission among workers.

Prepare Your Workplace

Once you’ve identified potential workplace hazards that may increase risks for COVID-19 transmission, it’s time to prepare your workplace for the in-person return of employees. 

Image Source 

Establish COVID-19 workplace health and safety guidelines that include precaution signage and other measures. Observe regulations regarding employee gatherings, social distancing, and hygiene practices, even if you have to rethink your physical set up. In this regard, the CDC suggests that employers:

• Implement ways to reasonably separate employees in all areas of the building (e.g., modifying workstation and furniture) to maintain social distancing of 6 feet between employees.
• Improve building ventilation (e.g., using portable HEPA filters to filter viruses from the air).
• Stagger shifts, start times, and break times to reduce the number of employees in common areas.

Prioritize Employee Health and Wellness

Though many of the above suggestions may seem obvious, they are critically important if you are to show your employees, customers, and regulatory authorities that you prioritize the health and wellness of your employees. Contact us today for the resources and technology capabilities to provide your employees with total well-being programs and get back to work as soon as possible.