The Return to Work and The Office: What It Might Look Like

While at present there is no formal end to the government’s restrictions on work or travel, in the interests of preparedness, businesses are advised to use this time to consider all the Physical & Policy, Psychological, and Technical “Return to Work/the Office” options and have the capability to move from one scenario to another as the situation changes.

The Physical & Policy Considerations

Whether your business is: a) Not trading at all (all staff furloughed); b) Trading on a limited basis (some staff furloughed, some working from home or in company premises) or where only ‘essential’ workers are currently in work; or c) Trading fully but all staff are working from home, there are some common topics that need consideration:

  • It seems highly likely that social distancing is here to stay for the foreseeable so when places of work are re-opened, employers will need to ensure their work environment allows a 2m physical distance between employees. Consideration therefore needs to be given to running meetings, interviews and other interactions and collaborations. What about communal areas such as canteens or kitchen areas? How can you implement resourcing strategies to support physical distancing such as ‘cohorting’ (ie keeping teams of workers working together, with the teams being as small as possible), or staggering working hours so that not all staff are in at the same time?
  • Employees need to be clear what procedure they should follow if they begin to feel unwell, both in the workplace and at home.
  • Employers need to be promoting best-practice health and safety hygiene, such as the need to wash hands regularly, and cover faces if coughing or sneezing.
  • If workplaces have been closed for a period of time, employers should carry out a deep-clean before reopening them, ensuring that all surfaces, phones and keyboards are wiped daily with anti-viral cleaner.
  • Consideration needs to be given for visitors, and/or of employees who need to travel or visit other company premises

The Psychological Considerations

In addition to the physical and policy considerations listed above, employers also need to consider the psychological ones, for example:

  • Some employees will be anxious about the ongoing health crisis and fear of infection, as well social isolation due to the lockdown.
  • Many employees will have experienced challenging domestic situations, such as juggling childcare or caring for a vulnerable relative, as well as financial worries if a partner has lost their income. Some will have experienced illness, or bereavement. Even if staff have carried on working and participating in video meetings, they will still need to adjust to working in a shared environment with colleagues.
  • Some may take more time than others and it’s likely that most people will need a period of readjustment.
  • Some members of staff may have concerns about travelling to work on public transport – or it may not be as readily available. Many may find that they are still coming to terms with the significant change which society has seen, and the familiar workplace routines could feel very different.

It will be vital therefore to have a re-orientation or re-induction process for returning staff. Encourage every manager to have a “one to one return to work” meeting with their team members, especially those who have been furloughed as processes may have changed.

Finally, it is important that every employee feels they are returning to a supportive and caring environment and one which equally treats furloughed and non-furloughed employees.  The uneven nature of people’s work and personal experiences and the challenging nature of the lockdown and ongoing situation, means there could be potential for some negative feelings creeping into the employment relations climate. Therefore, it’s important that the organisation fosters an inclusive working environment, and managers are sensitive to any underlying tensions and confident about nipping potential conflict in the bud.

The Technical Considerations

Being prepared to prevent and counter the risk of a cyber-attack also needs careful consideration when preparing your Return to Work plan.  Evidence shows there has been a material increase in cyber-attacks with Google alone reportedly blocking over 18 million malicious COVID-19 related emails.  It is vital therefore that businesses do not open themselves up to avoidable risks.

Some suggestions to ensure business continuity and compliance during the Return to Work, include:

  • Setting clear policies for the re-introduction of devices into the office environment
  • Setting out clear rules for the collection of data from remote (home) locations
  • Setting out clear instructions for the destruction of Data on uncontrolled/BYOD devices
  • Developing a communication and training plan for cyber security
  • Updating your ISMS/BCMS and speak to your Certification body
  • Re-visiting your cyber security strategy to ensure no stone is left unturned, including the “Insider Threat”

Other Considerations

There are other areas that employers will need to consider as part of their “Return to Work” plan.  They include:

  • Staffing numbers. When the government furlough scheme ends (currently set for 30 June) your business may still not need to bring all its existing workforce back. In this case you have essentially three options: 1) Agree reduced working hours with some or all staff; 2) Furlough staff for a further period, at your own expense; or 3) Consider redundancies.
  • Dealing with other groups of staff. Since not all restrictions will be lifted at the same time, there are some other issues that you will need to consider, such as: a) Staff who are advised to shield or self-isolate; b) Staff who have suffered a bereavement; c) Managing holidays after the return.
  • International operations. If your business operates internationally, you will need to plan based on the restrictions and/or guidance of different countries. Some may maintain stricter lockdown arrangements than the UK; others may lift restrictions sooner. Adopt a consistent approach while ensuring you are aware of local circumstances. Then of course there is the issue of international travel and any quarantine rules that need to be abided by. Even if this is not the case, some staff may have concerns about travelling to other countries where the risk of COVID-19 is higher. Be aware of your health and safety responsibilities and keep business travel to an absolute minimum. As many have realised during the current lockdown, many (though not all) business meetings can be done via video-conferencing.

In summary

Changes to the current lockdown restrictions are likely to be slow and gradual. They are also likely to fluctuate, and stricter measures imposed, possibly with very little notice. While we don’t know yet what the specific steps will be taken to start to lift the lockdown, there are certain principles and measures that every employer will need to consider. Organisations therefore need to use this time to prepare and plan their next steps.

Communication with your staff is key. Keeping people informed of what your business is doing – whether it is good or bad news for individuals – will help them to make their own decisions and give them some degree of security in very uncertain times. Knowing they are valued and supported by their employer – and that you continue to prioritise their health and safety – will be pivotal to their well-being.

Pay specific attention to staff who have particular requirements (e.g. health issues, disability, childcare or other caring responsibilities). They may not be in a position to return as quickly to ‘normal’ working. Notwithstanding however that many individuals who didn’t previously have a mental health condition may have experienced mental health challenges and need to discuss changes to help them overcome any barriers and fulfil their role.

Consider the potential cyber and compliance risks and how to counter them, including how data should be treated that may now reside on uncontrolled/BYOD devices, and how company devices should be re-introduced to the company network.

To learn how Fortress can help you with your Return to Work planning and Operational Resilience in general, please contact us now.

To learn how the FortressAS Home solution can help you improve the well-being of your home-workers, reduce your office costs, and improve your operational resilience, download our brochure here. To find out more about the FortressAS Home Solution visit https://fortressas.com/fortressas-home-service/.