Throughout the pandemic, there’s been plenty of guidance available for remote or hybrid workplaces, but what about for companies bringing workers back to the office? The slow return to the office is celebrated by some, and long feared by others.
When bringing employees back to the office, understand that the news may upset some workers, and that there are positive ways to deliver less than exciting news. If your company is considering returning to the office, here are a few tips to consider to ease the transition back to in-person work.
Many see hybrid work models as the first step in bringing workers back to the office full-time. This model gives employees the chance to get reacquainted with commuting and working in-person while also having the comfort of knowing they can work remotely a few times per week. Hybrid models give managers the chance to test the waters with employees to see how they react to and perform back in the office.
As a manager, if you know that some of your employees might not be thrilled to return to the office, a great way to let them know the news is to give them ample time to prepare. Giving your employees a considerate amount of time to mentally prepare (or physically for those that may need to relocate), is essential to keeping a high team morale.
It’s important to consider that for some, returning to in-person work will feel liberating and familiar, while for others it will not be their preferred workplace setting. It’s not possible to please every employee, but as long as managers are committed to communicating openly, there is always some middle ground to be found in the return to the office.
You can see all of the Fortune 100’s return to office policies here. You’ll notice that most companies are in hybrid models at the moment, which is perhaps the first step in a long return-to-office journey, while others have options for employee preference.