What Your Employees Need from You
Getting back to the office. You’ve been thinking about how to do this for months. As businesses begin to reopen under some Covid-19 restrictions, your plan must fit within guidelines. You have decisions to make. And, you need to communicate clearly with your employees how those decisions will affect the way they work.
Right now, clear communication is critical. Your employees are feeling unsettled in every area of their lives. Some may be fearful of what “back to normal” means while Covid-19 is still in our communities. Leadership is essential, as is having a well-thought out plan that balances the needs of your employees with the needs of your business.
Do you have the expertise on your team to put a return to work plan in place?
- Knowledge of state and federal requirements to be compliant?
- Expertise in writing policies and procedures to communicate with employees?
Taylor HR Group functions as our clients’ outsourced HR Department, providing advice, processes and support to navigate workplace complexities including the new challenges presented by Covid-19. We offer a Return to Work Action Plan and work with you to get all the various elements of a plan in place so your employees are informed and clear on what returning to the new workplace will be like. You will be confident you have a comprehensive plan, and your employees will be informed and more at ease about returning to the office.
Depending on where you’re located, the workplace may look different. Every state has standards that need to be adhered to, and your plan must take compliance into account. Whether you are returning to the office in the coming weeks or planning for the fall, Taylor HR Group’s Return to Work Action Plan will help you map out a plan that will keep your business compliant with state and federal laws and ensure that your employees feel secure about their return to work.
To ease anxiety about returning to the office, your Return to Work Action Plan needs to incorporate the following:
- Cleaning protocols put in place to protect the health and safety of your workforce.
- If there are multiple tenants in the building, define the communication and coordination in place with other tenants and the landlord to ensure everyone’s safety.
- PPE requirements for employees to follow.
- Protocols in place if someone is exposed to or tests positive for Covid-19.
- Changes in the workplace design to enable social distancing.
- Work schedule changes such as shifts, alternating days in the office with days at home or continuing to work entirely from home.
Employees may also have individual concerns such as underlying health issues or child care concerns which you will need to address individually.
Your efforts to minimize anxiety and ensure employees are safe returning to the workplace will help instill confidence in management during this stressful time. Holding regular check-ins to address any concerns they have is also recommended to make the ongoing transition go smoothly.
Contact Taylor HR Group to get your Return to Work Action Plan in place. Let us help you get and stay on course.