Ensuring emotional well being in your team while transitioning back to the office.

In this year of unprecedented disruption, many businesses and employees are doing what they can to stay ahead of and adapt to the fast paced changes required. The challenge businesses are now facing is that of bringing their employees back to the office. Planning to manage this change to ensure the emotional wellbeing of your employees is just as important as everything that was done to manage the other aspects of the COVID crisis. Equilibrium Psychology has prepared the below tips based on the stories we have heard so far from our clients going back to work:

So what is the best approach?

1.    Individualised – try not to implement a one-size-fits-all solution. Each team member may feel differently about the return. While some may be desperate for the change of scene, others may feel loss when returning to work and regret the extra time they found in their lives from not having to commute etc. Although it may seem generous to ask someone to continue to work from home, it may be very detrimental if that person is living in an unsafe environment.

2.    Consultative - Giving each employee a sense that they have been considered as individuals and their opinions and concerns have been heard and will be incorporated is an important part of their readjustment. Similarly encouraging employees to speak up when they’re feeling uncomfortable or fearful will keep the lines of communication open.

3.    Planned – In order for your team to feel secure, a clear plan and protocols should be mapped out and communicated before return to work is implemented. Although it has been difficult to plan for the ever-changing circumstances of the pandemic, having a clear plan where possible will smooth the transition.

4.    Respectful – Although having protocols will help people feel safe and cared for. Businesses need to also understand what they can and cannot dictate that people do. For example, downloading the COVID-Safe app is a personal choice. 

5.    Supportive - It has been a very uncertain time and uncertainty elevates anxiety. In addition to their concerns about health and COVID contamination, employees may suffer from new (or pre-existing) anxieties including: commuting on public transport; financial; career; childcare; and relationship. It is important that businesses take a compassionate approach to these different pressure points to best help their employees readjust.  Encouraging your team to make use of the EAP program you have in place can help them feel supported.

With supportive management, employee engagement and emotional wellbeing can even improve following a crisis such as the one we have been experiencing. As such, it is important that businesses do everything they can to promote a strong work culture and transparent, empathic leadership of the return to work process. Equilibrium Psychology is here to support you in this endeavour.