For many it has been a while, but do you remember bumping into colleagues in the office hallway, chatting about weekend plans or a big project you’re working on? Do you recall finding yourself in the right place at the right time, giving someone a missing piece of information or introducing a colleague to someone new? You may not have realised how much these conversations mattered until you found yourself working from home.
The shift to remote working, however, has changed the nature of social and workplace life and for some not necessarily for the better. While some employees have reported more meetings than ever, they also report more isolation and less connection. That said, many have thrived as they have had the chance to live and to do differently and have found a way of working that has been good for them. But now, facing the return to the workplace there is anxiety and for some, apprehension as they think about resuming and re- growing those workplace relationships.
Microsoft’s annual Work Trend Index has taken part in many surveys throughout the Pandemic and includes an analysis of trillions of productivity signals — think emails, meetings, chats, and posts — across Microsoft and LinkedIn’s user base. It also includes a survey of more than 30,000 people in 31 countries. One of the biggest changes seen across these studies was the significant impact that a year of full time remote work had on organisational connections around the world.
Specifically, at the onset of the pandemic, they noticed that interactions within close networks increased, while interactions with distant networks diminished. As people shifted into lockdown, they focused on connecting with the people they were used to seeing regularly, letting weaker relationships fall to the wayside. Simply put, companies became more siloed than they were pre-pandemic. And while interactions with close networks are still frequent, we’re seeing that now — one year in — even these close team interactions have started to diminish. (Work Trend Index Microsoft survey)
So now as the “new normal” starts to emerge, how do we return to the workplace and how do we feel about fostering and restoring those workplace relationships?
The Working Safely guidance has been updated and confirms that “the government is no longer instructing people to work from home if they can…Employers and others must continue to follow statutory health and safety requirements, conduct a risk assessment, and take reasonable steps to manage risks in their workplace or setting.”
As lockdown eases, or comes to an end, our working lives are changing again.
There has been a lot of talk about the ‘new normal’ – but we are quite a distance from knowing how things will settle down in terms of restrictions and adaptations in our lives and our work. It seems likely there will be some permanent changes in our working lives, but also that we may need to live with uncertainty for a while longer.
Readjusting to the Working Environment
Know your own mind – Try and work out how you are doing – what are you looking forward to about returning to business as usual? What seems difficult? Recognise how your feelings and emotions are affected by circumstances and restrictions, and how you feel about restrictions lifting. Try and keep a note daily of things that have gone well, and things that have been hard. Talk things through with a partner, friend, or a colleague.
Make a plan – It might help to plan for the first couple of weeks. Don’t try and do too much and build in a lot of rewards and time to do things you know boost your mental health.
You might want to build in strategies to push through tricky bits – like the commute, public interaction, or busy places. Headphones for the commute with a favourite podcast or playlist, meeting up with a colleague to walk in to your workplace together, or a coffee/lunch buddy are all ideas. You may want to discuss any possible flexible working, or reasonable adjustments to your work too – like travelling off peak to avoid crowds.
Follow advice on masks, distancing, and testing – Many of us haven’t been around colleagues and a workplace for a while. It might take a bit of time to adjust – many organisations will be developing completely new cultures and when we are all nervous or anxious, tempers can be short and judgement fast.
Enjoy the company of colleagues – but don’t forget people that may still be working at home – For many people, getting back to a dedicated workplace is going to be exciting and rewarding. For some people though, it will be difficult, or something to be endured. For many office workers, some kind of hybrid is going to be the norm.
Be aware of how much going back takes out of you – make sure you rest – Any change is exhausting in the short term. If you are going back to commuting, or being around people for much of the day, there’s going to be a lot of adjustment. You’ll be tired.
Find your new balance – Lockdown, furlough and home working changed so many lives. You may have found a new career or job and be meeting colleagues for the first time in person
Use Support – You’re probably going to want to talk about how it’s going – try and let off steam with your friends, family and colleagues.
Supporting Staff to Return to Work – All employers have a duty of care to recognise and manage psychological hazards and to address stress at work
Involve staff in planning for return to work – Open, authentic communication is key during any period of change or uncertainty and is even more important at the moment where people may not have had their usual support structures.
Be mindful of, and compassionate around individual circumstances – Across the UK, millions of people have been directly affected by the pandemic – you may have lost staff members to COVID-19, staff may have been bereaved, had COVID-19 and recovered, been affected by Long COVID, or been affected in many other ways. It’s very important that you are able to support those people and their colleagues.
Make sure people are taking annual leave and recovery time – It’s important that you promote annual leave to recharge. As with any period of intense and unrelieved stress, when the stress is lifted, there is sometimes an impact on physical or mental health.
Consider how hybrid working will change your workplace culture – Now is the time to consider how the built environment and your culture working could better promote wellbeing.
Equip line managers with the skills to have conversations about mental health – According to MIND UK ‘For any business, the relationship between manager and employee is key to success’.
We need to be open to yet more change because just as we were at the start of the Pandemic we will now go through yet another challenging time as we readjust to difference again. Remember we have all been impacted, but we have all been impacted differently and as a result, will all adjust differently.
The relationship between managers and staff, colleagues and for some, the public, will have changed and it is important to be okay with it again. Talk as openly as you feel able, don’t be afraid to speak out if you are worried and anxious about being with your colleagues again. Use team meetings productively to air any issues as they arise and work with them directly. Try not to use just one person either to offload to or to ‘get on side’.
Remember that your organisation has a Duty of Care for you. Your manager has a Duty of Care for you, but most importantly, we all have a Duty of Care for ourselves and need to be honest with those around us and tell appropriate colleagues if you are struggling. It isn’t enough just to look after our physical wellbeing we must to pay attention to our emotional welfare and our Mental health – so know where to reach out for support if you need it.
Good work place relationships are key to a happy and productive workplace so start afresh and be clear with people that you are invested in the good relationships and try to avoid the negative ones!
How can Care first help?
If you feel you may need some emotional or practical support, you can contact Care first on the Freephone number. Care first is a leading provider of confidential, professional counselling, information and advice services. Whilst our BACP accredited Counsellors are available 24/7 to provide support with emotional issues, our expertly trained Information Specialists are available 8am-8pm Monday-Friday to provide advice on any practical issues that may be causing you a stress or worry and help you feel more in control of a situation.
All employees are eligible to use Care first, our services include; telephone counselling, information services and online support. Call Care first on the Freephone number provided by your organisation and you can speak to a professional in confidence.
If you would like to view the Webinar on ‘Maintaining working relationships as people return to work’ this is being delivered live on Friday 30th July at 12pm, please use the below link to register for this session –
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6384610451658466060
If you are unable to join the webinar live, a recording of the session can be accessed using the same link above after the webinar has taken place.