You can feel a change in the air. More cars and people on the streets. Clients are calling again. Employees encouraged to come back to the office. But it feels different. Some employees are pushing back on returning the workplace. Our infographic offers practical tips, this time, for supporting employees through this adjustment period.

1. But don’t make the mistake of thinking your employees will be
ready to return to the office just because their basic physical safety
needs are met, especially in an environment of ambiguity and fear.
This too may be true!
If we focus on productivity rather
than geography, it may be that some
of our employees might be able to
work principally from home. Many
employers already work this way.
Others are seriously looking into
virtual offices. Is this a time for us to
re-evaluate how we work? Are there
any obstacles other than habit or
convention?
Whatever happens,
Change can be refreshing but it always requires adjustment
& can be difficult for those who miss the way it was.
Embrace the
opportunity
We need to understand and ensure
compliance with federal and state
direction as restrictions are eased.
Clearly communicate the physical
distancing requirements in the
workplace. Some employers are
rearranging the office layout.
Others still are increasing the
intensity of their office cleaning
regimes; all of which help
employees to feel physically safe.
They need to feel secure and capable
of changing back to home office if
required, free to speak up about their
anxiety without judgement and
encouraged to ask for help if they are
struggling. Understand if travel to and
from work is causing the anxiety and
what other options exist. Some
employers are staggering a return to
work to cope with this.
Why?
Consider that workplace stress, team
relationships or the physical set-up of
the work area may be contributing
factors. This may be an opportunity to
discuss ways in which the employee
might look at working at a different
pace or in different ways on returning
to the office. Can they continue to
work from home on some days?
Schedule more breaks during the day?
Plan to lock in annual leave for
downtime or holidays? Are they re-
evaluating what they want to do with
their career … and life for that matter?!
There may be some important
conversations to be had right now.
Why?
This may be true? What may be making
them less productive in the normal
work setting? Can the employee spend
part of their time working from home
or in a private space to maximise their
productivity?
Why?
The workplace will have changed.
Even employees who are keen to leave
remote working behind may struggle to
adjust to a different office vibe or layout,
colleagues still working from home &
changed ground rules. Re-entering a
disrupted workplace may cause concern
and anxiety for some. Consider this a
change management challenge requiring
a well thought through communication
strategy that can help both those
employees returning to the workplace &
those who continue to work from home.
to support your employees
through this and, where
appropriate, be open to
modifying working arrangements
and conditions to maximise
productivity and employee
wellbeing.
Practical Safety.
Your employees also need
I've secretly
enjoyed downtime.
I'm more
productive at home,
It may be important to reinforce the
benefits of collegial support, collective
decision making & goal setting as well
as greater robustness in problem-
prevention strategies when there are
multiple people at the table.
I can do most, if not
all, my work from home.
It is essential to look at
Emotional &
Psychological Safety.
working without distractions.
Technology has given us flexibility
beyond measure, but what we have
come to realise during Covid is that no
amount of Zoom or Microsoft Team
meetings can ever replace face to face
contact (not yet anyway!)
SOURCE: JENNY CLAVIO, ORGANISATIONAL PSYCHOLOGIST
hi ho, hi ho
EDITOR: MICHAEL MCGREGOR, ORGANISATIONAL PSYCHOLOGIST
CLAVIO CONSULTING
IT'S BACK TO WORK
We need to understand why
before we can consider
what to do & how to
Below are some practical tips that you
may find helpful in the coming weeks.
Why? ‘There may be second wave'. 'We are moving too
quickly'. ‘I don’t want to put my family in any risk’.
I feel unsafe.
You can feel a change in the air.
More cars and people on the streets.
Clients are calling again. Employees
encouraged to come back to the office.
But it feels different. Some employees
are pushing back on returning the
workplace.
we go!
manage this new normal.