Return to Workplace Strategy

When the pandemic struck earlier this year, businesses worldwide shut their operations and many of them moved their operations remote i.e. asking the employees to completely work from home. As we enter the third quarter of the year, many companies have opened their workplace at least in a limited capacity. However, there are plenty of challenges on this road. In this blog, we will discuss these challenges and explore the possible outcomes.

Outcomes as a result of the pandemic

Having shifted to a ‘work from home’ strategy, companies around the world have seen a significant change in the overall workplace/homeplace and people dynamics. The key pointers include:

• a. The boundaries between work and home has substantially dissolved. The increased level of collaboration, enabled by conferencing and team applications has enhanced agility and productivity of the employees.

• b. The pandemic has been hard and it has made us to think of ourselves, others and the world in a more empathetic way. Emotional wellbeing is a much more important topic now a days and companies are taking active interest in this field.

• c. Safety (physical, emotional, financial and digital) has become the number one priority.

Key components of reopening

Companies should keep in mind the following components while planning a return to the workplace. They include:

Planning

• • Identify which functions need to return to workplace and which can continue to work from home. Measure the efficiency quotient and work towards creating a roster.

• • Calculate the type of work, teams need to do at workplace, including the time taken for activities.

• • Create a support plan for remote workforce. Clearly define practices and policies and consider things such as working styles, role of technology etc.

• • Introduce regular training to make remote working more effective. Plus, develop training programs for all personnel who are now going to work from office.

• • Develop scenarios that evaluate workplace dynamics by considering efficiency, cost, safety, and operating conditions. 

• • Devise a staggered plan on how to get the targeted people back in the office.

• • Develop guidelines for end-to-end facilities and visitor management.

Safety and productivity

• • Identify which functions need to return to workplace and which can continue to work from home. Measure the efficiency quotient and work towards creating a roster.

• • Calculate the type of work, teams need to do at workplace, including the time taken for activities.

• • Closely monitor the developed guidance on safety and sanitation. Keep a watch on the facilities and calculate the additional expenditure required (if any).

• • Regulate workplace to provide for appropriate social distancing and hygienic norms, / Remember that worker’s wellness, health, and safety is the utmost priority.

• • HR policies and guidelines need a complete revamp, as a result of the pandemic. Management should sit with the team to devise appropriate strategies. They can include scenarios such as work refusals, family condition etc. Such policies need to be more flexible.  

• • Understand and comply with central and state government regulations and legal requirements.

• • Create proper feedback channels to understand employee concerns and conditions.

• • Drive confidence and motivation in employees. It’s very important for everyone to stay positive

• • Assess the technology and tools required to enhance collaboration between home employees and people working from office.

Financial viability

• • Create financial modeling to study various scenarios for workplace reopening and recovery.

• • The focus should be in preserving cash/liquidity and ensuring that there is ample capitalization.

• • Look for government assistance programs which can fund portions of the reopening efforts.

The Return (to the workplace) Journey

As described by the guiding principles above, a set of frameworks must be developed and executed which would direct proper reopening. These can include:

Readiness framework: Map out the possible impact which community, workplace and employee will have on each other. For e.g. list out the necessary protocols which are followed in the neighborhood where employee lives. If the area is a high-infection zone then advise the employee (even if he/she is required at workplace) to stay at home. Data is going to be very critical as we knock on reopening-and this data must be regularly updated.

Reopening framework: This includes the phased approach which must be deployed i.e. divide the reopening into phases and list out the employees who will be joining the workplace in each phase. In addition, formulate alternate plans which will reallocate the resource, if an employee(s) is not able to join the workplace due to any reason.

Technology framework: Create specialized ‘safe workplace’ apps for your employees where they can do ‘self-assessment’ of their health, share grievances, reach for support etc.

Conclusion: Embrace the uncertainty

Only a proper planned and phased reopening strategy can minimize the risks of these uncertain times. There are various aspects which firms have to take in mind. For e.g. the socio-business impacts, movement restrictions, financial viability, neighborhood restrictions, government protocols etc. The blog above covers these key pointers and map out a step by step process which businesses can use to access and reopen.

The only certainty in these uncertain times is uncertainty and instead of seeing it as the enemy, firms should embrace it. That’s the only mantra of success these days.