For many of us, returning to work is a welcome opportunity, getting out of the same four walls and catching up with colleagues, a slice of the old ‘normality’ back.
However, for some, the mere thought of going back into the work environment brings a plethora of anxieties.
So how can you support your employees’ return to the workplace?
Consider Health and Safety
You have a legal responsibility to ensure that measures are put in place to aid a safe return to work for your employees. You are obliged to carry out a risk assessment to ensure you are meeting the health and safety requirements. Your risk assessment will help to determine:
- Who might be harmed and how
- What you’re already doing to control the risks
- What further action you need to take to control the risks
- Who needs to carry out the action
- When the action is needed by
For more information, links to a downloadable risk assessment template and example risk assessments visit: Managing risks and risk assessment at work
Recognise the Challenges
It is important to keep open communication channels and remember to listen to individual concerns. Encourage employees to share their concerns with you. We recommend sending out a brief questionnaire or survey to employees, giving them an opportunity to raise any concerns and give their own thoughts on how best they might be supported as they return.
Providing regular information and communication on the steps you have put in place at the offices can often answer many questions and alleviate most concerns. Consider implementing and communicating clear policies that deal with specific scenarios and be sure to keep these under regular review.
Consider Long-Term Flexibility
For many, the experience of working from home has changed the outlook on work/life balance, with the draw of spending more time with family and increases in productivity. Consider how you can continue this ethos in your business. Can you offer a more flexible or mixed model approach?
Parents and Childcare
Perhaps an unintended consequence of the previous months, but the impact of workplace changes and government guidelines regarding schools has left many parents in a continual childcare limbo. Parents have had to juggle the role of parent, teacher, playmate and breadwinner. Be considerate of the pressures on working parents.
Single parents and working mums have been particularly hit hard. TUC reported that approximately 41% of working mums with children are unsure whether they will be able to meet childcare requirements for September.
Be prepared to listen and be flexible to their needs. You may consider:
- Altering working hours to allow for childcare
- Reducing working hours (either on a temporary or permanent basis)
- Allowing staff to work from home
- Extending furlough until the end of October to support parents who are unable to return to work because of childcare responsibilities.