Where To Start

Where To Start

Right now, it is important to remember you and your company are not starting over, you can treat it like an opportunity to refresh and take a new approach, but it is important for you and the leadership to understand that this is not an enforced start over.

In essence, the workplace has always been seen as a flexible place, however, this has often been for those who have been given more flexibility. Since Q1 of 2020, we have been in mandatory lockdown and various different environments. Right now it is essential to plan for a workplace that is flexible, flexible for all members of staff and treat the office as a hybrid environment, this is essential from top to bottom.

The opportunity here is to encourage one company-wide flexible plan, it is important for managers and department leads not to apply different rules. Trust is essential as is creating an environment and playbook for everyone to understand, know and agree to the agreed principles.

Planning is essential, if you are planning to welcome people back into the office, plan the office to have social distancing throughout the office and limit the capacity, right now many people do not want to return to the office, and this is completely understandable. Encourage planning around teams coming into the office and planning days and encourage remote away days and help these teams and departments to organise safe remote away days.

There is a chance with planning to allow staff returning from longer time out of the office to enable them to adjust to the big shift back to the returning to work or having to return to the office. It is important to make them feel better and importantly to feel safe to return. Recent times have taken its toll and now is time to offer the right support.

Planning will also be essential for track and tracing and planning for second, third and fourth waves, alongside localised lockdowns. Ensure you have a plan for new waves and how you and the team will react and go back to safety first and working remotely.

Return To School, School Holidays & Time Off

Something to keep in mind is the upcoming return to school for many parents and guardians. There will be high anxiety levels for parents and those around them, alongside the impact it will have on the teams. School holidays come thick and fast and are important for you and the teams to prepare and plan for cover and managing annual leave alongside setting up the right support groups and mental health support.