7 Things To Consider If You’re Going Back into the Office
by Krista Kaput
With the vaccination rate at over 70%, the mask mandate lifted (for now), and most public places operating at full capacity, one may think that transitioning back to the office full-time would be easy. Think again!
Thankfully, I work for a nonprofit that has recognized the challenges and concerns that myself and my coworkers are facing with the transition included throughout the reopening planning process to ensure that we feel comfortable and safe. If your nonprofit has started or is planning their office reopening, here are a few key things I recommend doing throughout the process:
Be collaborative! Include staff and coworkers in planning: One of the things I am the most grateful for is how collaborative and transparent my nonprofit has been with our office reopening protocols. Prior to planning, all of us were sent an anonymous survey that asked us a number of questions about our reopening preferences—how often we wanted to be in the office, how productive we felt working from home, when we wanted to return to the office, and what safety measures we would like to see in place upon our return. This created an opportunity for us to be truthful about our levels of comfort and various concerns about returning to the office. From that feedback, as well as research on best practices and CDC guidance, we were given a first draft to look at and respond to. This created a great, effective discussion that helped ensure all staff felt confident moving forward the reopening plan.
Be considerate of staff with young children: The last 18 months have taken a toll on all of us, but the extra challenges that families with young kids continue to deal with should be especially acknowledged. With vaccines only available for children over the age of 12, our office has created extra flexibility for our coworkers who have young children—including the option of staying remote.
Set a timeline: In order to give people time to plan and adjust to going back to an in-person work setting, our nonprofit created a timeline of when the office will be open and available for us to use—with the goal of full reopening set for after Labor Day. Developing this timeline has provided the opportunity for staff to start going into the office as they are comfortable, thus allowing people to get used to going back into the office with more regularity at their own pace.
Consider adopting a hybrid office model: One of the questions on the anonymous survey asked about how often people want to be in the office, with most of us indicating that we would like to be in the office 2-3 days a week. To accommodate this, our office reopening plan has set the expectation that staff will be in the office for a minimum number of hours per week. We also set the expectation that, after Labor Day, all meetings will be in-person, unless other accommodations are needed.
Implement increased health and cleaning measures: I know that I have come into the office (pre-pandemic) when I didn’t feel great or had a cold because I didn’t want to take any time off. Our new office policy explicitly states that staff should not come into the office if they do not feel well and are instead encouraged to either take time off or work remotely. We also have set forth stricter cleaning protocols—like washing dishes and sanitizing countertops—that are honestly best practices that we should’ve been doing all along.
Be flexible and open to adjustments: It’s important that workplaces stay flexible, particularly since there are so many COVID unknowns. My nonprofit has gone through at least two iterations of our reopening plan, and our leadership has made it clear that it’s a working document that will be adjusted as needed—whether that be because of CDC guidance, changes brought about by increasing severity of virus variants, or staff concerns.
Extend grace: Part of being a good team player is understanding different individuals’ circumstances and needs, and meeting them where they’re at. The pandemic has impacted people in a variety of ways, and transitioning back into the workplace won’t be the same experience for everyone. It’s important that employers extend grace and make sure that all of their staff feel safe, valued, and heard.
This list is by no means exhaustive, and obviously should be adapted to meet the needs of each individual workplace. However, because my nonprofit proceeded with great care and implemented the above practices, I not only feel comfortable and confident about our reopening plan, but I’m also excited about returning to the office in September!
Krista Kaput | @Minne