We are living in undoubtedly stressful times, and you could certainly feel the jitters reverberating through your workers as they return to the usual office… if, indeed, this is what they do. Remote working is, of course, one option you could give these workers – but you could reassure them in many other ways, too.
In the latest Principal Financial Wellbeing Index mentioned by Fast Company, 40% of business leaders said they didn’t want to reopen their firms until they felt their employees could safely return. Here are a few measures you can take to help protect your own workers’ health and safety.
Be highly responsive to your employees’ concerns
Even if you think it is now safe for your workers to return to their usual stations, not all of these workers might concur. You could find, for example, that your employees are divided on whether or not they should wear face masks while working.
“Show appreciation to workers who are coming back by really supporting them,” advises Kimberley Miller, director of employee relations for Principal Financial Group. “They should never have to ask for wipes or masks or those kinds of things.”
Allow employees to work flexibly from home
Working from home wasn’t something that many people were accustomed to before the pandemic. In the US, for example, only about 5% of the workforce regularly worked from home back in “normal” times, The Conversation reports.
However, for many employees now, being able to work remotely isn’t simply convenient – it can feel like a lifeline. Just consider the example of a parent who might need to keep young children occupied while pursuing work tasks.
For this reason, as a manager, you shouldn’t be afraid to have open conversations with your recruits about how they are currently handling their work – and how you could help them to overcome any obstacles.
Foster a communicative culture through virtual means
Naturally, you want to keep your workers as safe from COVID-19 infection as possible. However, it’s not only their physical health but also their mental wellness that can be imperilled in a pandemic.
Many of your workers who have recently started working from home might never have done so before – in which case, they could soon find themselves feeling deeply socially isolated.
Therefore, you should investigate various ways that workers can still easily converse with each other digitally – for example, through video conference calls held to mark their birthdays or other milestones.
Act on the initiative to help your employees cope
The increased fear and panic sparked by the pandemic has likely led many people to fall back on coping mechanisms that have worked for them during previous times of anguish. However, some coping strategies research has shown people use for such purposes, like drinking more alcohol, would not bode too well for their health.
By switching to a serviced office from BE Offices, you can give your workers a COVID-secure workplace while also letting them access onsite gyms where they could instil habits much more promising for their health.
