Back to Work – What You Need to Know
At long last, we can turn our minds toward returning to our workplaces.
Forward-thinking employers are already planning how to reintegrate their workforces. They understand it will take time for employees to adopt, and adapt to, new ways of working in a post-pandemic era.
Even if employees are returning to familiar roles and functions, the reality is that they have already dedicated months developing new habits and routines in other environments. Those diverse and unique experiences may impact their motivation, engagement and performance upon re-entry into a group setting—and the best-crafted plans will anticipate this complex dynamic.
Before an effective Return to Work strategy can be set in motion, employers need to take a measured approach. That process begins by ensuring the following key factors are being considered.
Key Factors
Leaders need to understand what the business needs, what employees need, and what accommodations can be offered to find common-ground solutions.
- What was the pre-pandemic way of working? Is it your desire to return to that way of working? What are the pros and cons of doing that?
- What are some of the benefits of the manner that you and your employees changed the way of working during the pandemic? Conversely, what aspects of your service delivery were negatively impacted and what strategy will you apply to recover?
- Which jobs are conducive to remote work and which jobs are not? What percentage of time do employees need to be in the workplace to ensure pre-pandemic service delivery levels are attainable?
- What are your employees concerned about? What are your managers worried about? Do your managers know how to navigate the employment law considerations as you get ready for a return to the workplace?
- What workplace wellness strategies might you implement to address employee and manager concerns?
iHR Is Here to Help!
iHR Advisory Services can work with you to design a customized Return to Work Roadmap, helping you understand, address and communicate key factors that are specific to your work environment and culture. Our approach is to protect employers and employees alike by proactively mitigating situations that may negatively impact your workplace.
We can also equip your managers with a guide and toolkit, so they can navigate the unique circumstances impacting the workplace. This includes critical guidance regarding employment legislation, such as considerations surrounding vaccine hesitancy and accommodations for medical or family status reasons.
Our team of Certified HR Experts will provide you and your team with options on how to make changes to terms and conditions of employment: hours of work, work location, work refusals, and the application and enforcement of health and safety protocols.
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