Tips for Returning to the Office in 2024
Here’s what employees need to know about a smooth transition to the office.
After two years of remote work during the pandemic, many companies are starting to bring employees back to the office.
For many, returning to a brick-and-mortar office for the first time in two years feels like the Jaws soundtrack is playing in the background.
Not knowing what to expect, some people let themselves sink into the fear and uncertainty that Halloween horror movies are designed to provoke.
But returning to the office doesn’t have to be scary or uncomfortable if you consider a few tips. Here’s how employees can return to the office more smoothly.
Know the Tips for Returning to the Office
Understand the rules
When you return to the office, be aware of working hours, mask use, and even business travel rules.
Some organizations have realigned their procedures and cultural ways of doing business. For example, some people may have hopped on a plane for an initial client meeting before the pandemic.
Now, accustomed to two years of video conference presentations, your team leader may wonder why you’re not saving time and money by traveling less.
Likewise, buildings may still have regulations regarding masks and visitors, even if individual corporate suites take different approaches.
Practice tolerating different attitudes towards COVID-19
According to Morning Consult, about two-thirds of U.S. workers return to the office feeling comfortable and safe. Of course, it also shows that about a third of people are unhappy with the concept.
With that in mind, try to practice tolerance with approaches and let true curiosity and empathy drive your perspective rather than judgment.
You may not be aware that coworkers are highly sensitive to the perceived risk of COVID-19 due to a personal or loved one’s health risk profile, which may not concern you.
COVID-19 has been a terrifying experience for the entire world, and individual responses don’t have to be separate.
Consider health issues
The culture of mild disease has changed in most organizations. In some organizational cultures, cold and flu work was accepted, even to the extent expected.
Right now, most people want you to work from home or take sick or paid time off, even if you are concerned about the spread of the disease.
Likewise, if you sneeze or cough, maybe politely say “Damn allergies” or “Don’t worry, I’m not sick” to reassure sensitive colleagues.
Re-establish routine
Commuting times can vary widely as people return to the office. Popular coffee shops or drive-through may no longer be open.
Allow extra time for transition and take the opportunity to implement some past solutions, like showing up an hour earlier or listening to podcasts instead of music on your commute.
For some, the routine can suffocate, but most benefit from the predictability and comfort of knowing what to expect.
Consciously top up your social bank account
In brick-and-mortar offices, there is often a vibrant social life of coffee and lunch breaks. One of the many advantages of working in space is meeting people who may not work on your immediate team but have intrinsic or future value to your professional and social life.
As you get back into the routine of office life, you may want to prioritize internal and external networking activities to rebuild and expand your circle.
They are intentionally relearning time conservation methods.
The flip side of refilling your social “bank account” is learning how to check for unproductive interruptions.
No one stops in your cubicle or office when you work from home to talk about news, sports, gossip, or the weather.
You may need to relearn how to practice social discipline by reminding people of deadlines or the need to focus on work rather than conversation.
A renewed focus on health
As of February 2021, the average American millennial has gained 41 pounds since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Statistic, a German company specializing in market and consumer data.
Daily exercise suffers, and proximity to home refrigerators and pantries means unhealthy food choices are just a few steps away.
Use returning to the office as an opportunity to commit or recommit yourself to healthy exercise and nutrition habits.
Negotiate hybrid solutions
Finally, for some organizations and individuals, returning to the traditional office doesn’t need to be business-as-usual.
Many companies are exploring hybrid work solutions, where teams or individuals spend some time in the office and the rest at home.
For example, new dictionaries 1 to 4 or 2 to 3 have emerged to indicate the combination of home and office days in a typical week.
When you return, note the benefits of each location, then demonstrate to your supervisor that you are more efficient with one model or the other.
In conclusion
Remember, this is a shift away from work-from-home models for you and the entire organization.
Companies, like individuals, are struggling to get back to work. No one knows if we will return to this world as we did in 2019 or if there will be a new shift towards a hybrid world.
Be conscious of your approach, be sensitive to the needs of others, and soon you’ll feel the “normal” state we’ve spent two years yearning for, even if the normal becomes very new and unexpected.
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