The Return to the Office

As our summer winds down, and our kids go back to school in a couple weeks, many employees and employers are thinking about the future of their office.

The pandemic has forced many of us to work from home, making due with what equipment we have at home to build a comfortable, or manageable, computer office. The question then becomes, how do employers approach a return to the office?

Many employees have found that there are several benefits to working from home. These can include; no long commutes, flexible work hours, less distractions and more productivity, easier work/life balance. I for one found that working from home was a blessing and a curse for me.

I had much more flexibility throughout my day to go on walks, prep healthier meals, and spend less time in traffic and more time working. However, working from home led me to have difficulty in balancing work and personal time as my work phone was always nearby. It was easy to get into the habit of “just a few minutes to answer this email”.

Some questions that employers need to ask themselves is how critical is it for employees to be in the physical workplace? Can the work be completed virtually or does it require on-site presence? Are my employees reluctant to return to the office? What can I do to address these and other employee concerns?

Communication

Key to the successful return to the office is clear and concise communication with your employees. Keeping regular communication with your employees, including the short and long-term goals for the future of the office, is important to retaining employee and aiding in the transition.

I am a firm believer that involving employees in the decision process, even to brainstorm or voice concerns, allows employers and leaders to identify the areas of concern and develop a solid plan to address them. Some employees may have concerns over sanitation, especially with a 4th COVID wave looming. Others may have issues with the commute or sudden loss of flexibility in their schedule. By gathering these concerns ahead of time, employers and supervisors can develop an effective plan to support their employees.

Clearly communicating the return to the office plan allows your employees time to prepare and will help ease the transition. This may include a gradual return to the office with a mixture of office and remote work, providing assistance in locating child-care services, or understanding that some employee may have a longer/new commute due to a recent move.

Accommodation

With any workplace transition, employers need to ensure that their employee have access to necessary accommodations to prevent injury and maintain positive mental health.

Accommodations such as subsidized public transit, flexible working hours, or even improved office equipment (chairs, keyboards, computers, etc.) encourage a positive workplace and prevent employee injury or discontent.

Understanding the requirements of employee roles allows employers to implement a hybrid workplace model. Hybrid workplace models are a combination of remote and on-site offices that provide employee with flexible work arrangements depending on their role requirements and preferences. The success of a hybrid work model is dependent on giving employees a choice as well as implementing as a gradual or phased approach.

The workplace culture, type of work, and the individuals employed, will ultimately determine the formula implemented.

Ergonomic Accommodation

One thing that the pandemic has shown us is that workplaces have grown to be reliant on computer-based work. From remote employee to the increase in virtual communication, computers, and by extension cellphones, are a key part to the success of any business. Employers who are able to recognize and proactively address this, through ergonomic accommodation and training, will be able to maintain a high level of worker wellbeing, reduce the discomfort and risk of injury in the office, and retain employee for longer.

The first step to building a proactive ergonomic program is to understand where the hazards are, educate employees on early recognition, and train them to make the changes before issues arise.

That is why I have written a systematic guidebook to educate anyone on what to look out for, and how to adjust their computer workstation to fit them. In my book, “The Pain-Free Office”, readers will learn about postures at the desk, how to adjust office equipment to fit them, and the guiding principles to working and living happier and pain-free.

Click here to purchase your copy, print or e-book, and start your journey towards working happier and pain-free!