The COVID-19 pandemic was rough for businesses across the globe. Maybe you shifted operations online or shut down altogether for a period of time. Either way 2020 was marked by fear and uncertainty for virtually all business owners and senior management teams. But the year was equally frightening for workers. Many of them took the time to reassess what really matters. As vaccination rates increase and you welcome employees back to your work site, it’s important to understand and address their concerns about coming back. Here’s what you should know about returning to work.
Health and Safety Plans
Prior to the pandemic, most workers thought very little about their employers’ health and safety plans unless they needed to utilize something like workers’ compensation. After 15 months of COVID-19, though, health and safety are at the top of nearly everyone’s mind.
Fully vaccinated people who are not immunosuppressed are generally safe to return to life as normal. But unvaccinated or partially vaccinated people are not. Your employees likely include a mix of vaccination statuses. Even many who are fully vaccinated are worried about returning to work. If you haven’t already, now is the time to start reconfiguring your work site to improve worker safety. Upgrade ventilation. Rearrange work stations to allow for social distancing. Require everyone on site to wear masks (or ask for proof of vaccination), and improve your cleaning procedures.
Don’t forget about your workers’ mental health. Anxiety and depression rates skyrocketed during the pandemic. And many people without clinically diagnosable mental health disorders are now experiencing what has been termed “re-entry anxiety.” Employees want their management team to provide ongoing, unflinching assistance with their mental health concerns. If you don’t already have an employee assistance program (EAP) in place, now is the time to implement one.
Flexibility Over Money
The pandemic showed workers the value of their time, and many are unwilling to give control of that time back to their employers. As we come out of the pandemic, it’s no longer enough to lure workers with higher pay (though fair pay remains a worker priority). You’ll also need to do what you can to provide flexibility. This might be through scheduling changes or partial work-from-home arrangements.
Working Together
Getting through a global pandemic required an all-hands-on-deck approach. Traditional silos between departments and barricades between management and labor fell by the wayside at many companies. Everyone pulled together to figure out how to keep going. Most workers want to maintain this spirit of collaboration. They’re looking for transparency and accountability, and they want to be part of the process. They’re as worried about future risk management as you are, and they want to help find solutions.
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