As businesses and offices begin to open in countries around the world, companies are starting to plan for a return to the workplace. This is a critical time for organisations to survey employees and gather their feedback. Surveys provide insight into how teams are feeling and what the top concerns are with regard to any upcoming transitions. While we certainly don’t have all the answers, we want to call attention to the most important questions you need to have answered before your employees go back to the workplace. 

1 How will you prioritise the health and safety of your employees?
There are many facets of health and safety to plan for. Here are a few questions you can ask yourself while creating your strategy. They will help you keep your employees protected during the transition.

How are employers managing and assessing risk? Legislations and risk assessment requirements vary from country to country, however in the UK, employers are legally required to protect employees and others from harm. It is recommended the risk of returning to the workplace is assessed and for organisations to understand how employees can work safely and for the workplace to be COVID-secure.

The big question employers should be asking themselves, is it necessary to return to the physical workplace at all? Even if companies can go back to the office, that doesn’t mean they have to. While you consider when and how your employees will return to the office, it is worth knowing that our data shows that people are adjusting well to remote work. Instead of rushing back, use this time as an opportunity to not only protect your employees (especially those with weakened immune systems) but to reinvent how your company works. The data shows we don’t have to return to ‘normal’ in the workplace. 

2 What are the legal implications of returning to the workplace?
There are many legal complexities employers will have to navigate as they map out the return to the workplace. Organisations can easily have a claim made against them if they aren’t being safe and following guidelines, so it is worth putting in the effort now to protect your business from future risk of tribunals. We recommend that your HR strategy is reviewed by legal counsel, to ensure the company and employees are protected. There are a few key legal issues to pay attention to: 

• How can we be mindful about discrimination? Employers need to have a plan for complicated scenarios. This includes responding to an employee who is diagnosed with COVID-19; letting go of employees who don’t want to return to the workplace and they are unable to perform their role remotely; and dealing with people who refuse to follow safety protocols in the office.
  
• What if an employee refuses to return to the workplace? You should be prepared for a situation in which employees refuse to go back to the workplace. This could be due to their perception of how safe it is to be back in work spaces. Also, it may be the case that employees can’t return to work if they don’t have a reliable childcare option, or if they live with someone who has a vulnerable immune system and is at higher risk for contracting COVID-19. Regardless of the reason, it’s critical to prioritise employee wellbeing. Work with them to find a solution that works for both parties.
• How do we handle the return to the workplace across different offices? If you have a global presence, you may want to create separate plans for each work site. Since employee experience will vary depending on the work location, it’s important to liaise with legal counsel to understand the restrictions and guidelines of each city, state, or country.

3 How do you need to prepare the physical workspace?
If the majority of your employees are returning to the workplace, you need to think about how to adapt the physical office to be compliant with the restrictions due to COVID-19. Below are potential accommodations you should consider to ensure the safety and health of employees: 

• Do we need a new office layout? Now is the time to reimagine what the physical workspace can look like. This may include changes like properly spaced desks and signage to ensure people don’t get too close to one another. It may help to look to organisations like Cushman & Wakefield, as well as companies in China, to see what solutions they’re using.
• How can we establish an effective cleaning/disinfecting process? No matter how many people you’re planning to have back in the office, or how frequently they’ll be there, there needs to be a strict cleaning regime in place. In addition to encouraging employees to wipe down their own workspaces, organise regular cleaning services, enhanced cleaning for busy areas and hand sanitiser around the workplace.
• Should we introduce diverse working options? As we mentioned before, it’s worth asking yourself whether a return to a physical office is necessary. If you’re not willing or able to go fully remote, keep in mind that there are many other work setups. You can have all of your employees part-time remote. Similarly, you can keep your office space open and give employees the option to go in if they choose to utilise it for important meetings or team-building exercises.

4 What is the timeline for the return to the workplace?
Most companies are not planning to send everyone back to the workplace at the same time. Instead, your leadership team is likely thinking of a staggered approach to phase employees back into the office over a period of weeks or months. This raises questions around what the overall timeline should look like. To answer these questions, here’s what we recommend:

• What are the most urgent needs of the organisation? If you’ve determined that you absolutely need employees back at the office, define your organisation’s top priorities. Do you need your manufacturing workers to return and resume the production lines? Or do you need to get your legal counsel and HR teams in the office to properly set up the space? Figure out what you need before you create your plan.
• How do we prioritise which employees to send back first? Once you have identified business priorities, it’s time to take employee priorities into account. Discussing plans with employees before making a decision or communicating a plan can ease any anxiety felt about returning to the workplace. While it’s important to take a structured approach, you also want to take the personal requests of your employees seriously as you may not have full visibility into their personal circumstances.
• How far ahead do we need to plan? Even if you plan to have all employees back in the office within three months, it’s important for your HR strategy to look beyond that. Are you hiring more people? Will you be staying in the same office space? Do you have any plans to eventually allow more employees to work remotely? These are all important considerations for the future that should be built into your short-term plans. 

5 How can you be proactive moving forward?
While we hope everyone’s return to the workplace goes smoothly, there’s a chance that things won’t go exactly as planned. It’s important to be realistic about the possibility of having an outbreak or facing employee resistance. It is also equally as important that you manage employee expectations effectively, ensuring they understand that things may change overnight and that needs to be accepted. It’s in every company’s best interest to be proactive and prepared. To minimise the potential negative impact of returning to the workplace, companies can:

• Prepare for potential obstacles: Even when you do everything right, sometimes things go wrong. It’s critical to prepare for these moments instead of hoping they don’t happen. Meet with the legal and leadership teams to plan out the worst-case scenario and determine what the company’s response will be if it manifests.
• Keep employees informed of your plans: Don’t map out an HR strategy in silos then expect employees to be aligned with your suggestions. Instead, involve them in the process, collect their feedback through surveying, and make sure their voices are heard. Your employees are the ones who will be most impacted by going back to work, so they should have an active role in shaping the transition back.

While it can feel overwhelming to think about returning to the workplace, there are tools – like employee surveys – that can provide direction. Listen to our ‘Returning to the Workplace webinar with Rothschild’ to hear the factors to consider in collecting employee feedback, to inform your approach and build the strategy which is right for your business and your people.

We encourage organisations to use our free Return Readiness Template to help track, measure, and manage the issues that are most important to your employees.