06/25/2020
are giving the green light to reopen, employers are developing plans to bring employees back to work safely, giving careful thought to schedules, seating configurations, visitor policies, elevator usage, food delivery, and much more.
While workforce reentry certainly includes logistical and operational planning, it is not just physical well-being that employers must take into account. Equally important is how organizations will respond to employees’ emotional and psychological health —a topic that, regrettably, is discussed far less frequently.
If employers don’t address these sources of anxiety and assist employees in managing their mental health, bringing people back to work will do little to help companies return to pre-Covid productivity and engagement levels.
Many companies will need to enhance current practices, supplementing external or third-party mental health programs with a greater capacity to deal with stress, anxiety, and uncertainty “in house.” This does not mean attempting to take the place of trained mental health practitioners but rather building greater internal awareness of, sensitivity toward, and ability to address employee concerns.
Drawing on our many years of experience as people, culture, and change consultants, we’ve identified five things employers must do to help reduce employee reentry anxiety. The five indicators can serve both as a framework to help employers build their reentry plans and as measures by which to assess progress.
Employees want reassurance that their companies will put their people first whenever possible, especially in difficult times. Costco’s decision to institute hazard pay for frontline workers, Apple’s move to offer paid sick days, and Delta CEO Ed Bastian’s choice to forgo his salary for six months are early examples of corporate values in action that helped relieve employee concerns.
Most employers receive good marks from their people for the way they’ve responded to the pandemic thus far. Large majorities in our survey said that their employer is putting safety above profits (72%) and taking care of employees as best they can (74%) and that their employers’ response is “exactly what it should be” (72%).
Companies must continue demonstrating commitment to their values during the reentry phase. They would do well to take a cue from Jane Fraser, president of Citi & CEO of Global Consumer Banking, who made Citi’s reentry priority abundantly clear when she wrote on LinkedIn:
“As #Citi plans for the future — re-opening our offices and determining what our new workplace needs will be — one thing is very clear to us. We will continue to prioritize the safety of our employees, customers and communities. That may mean being more cautious than the guidance of a city, state or country. We have a senior and seasoned team working on our return to the office to ensure that when we do so, it is done intelligently and with the health and well-being of our people at the center of our decision making.”
A consistent cadence of communications from your CEO or other trusted leaders is key to managing employee anxiety. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has become one of the most trusted sources in the country for Covid-19 guidancebecause of his transparent and regular briefings.
Not surprisingly, our research shows that employees who regularly receive updates from their companies are more likely to have positive views of their employers. They are more likely to be proud to work for their companies (by 55%) and to look forward to going back to work (by 43%).
A pattern of open two-way communication is especially critical as employers take actions to deal with the pandemic’s economic impact. Organizations that have kept employees abreast of business performance and engaged in ongoing dialogue with their people will be better prepared for difficult conversations.
Our research found that employees trust top public health experts, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Dr. Anthony Fauci, on reentry timelines. Fewer than one in 10 would feel safe returning to the office when only their employer says it’s safe.
Employees’ top five safety requests closely match CDC and others’ recommendations. Employees want their employers to:
Employees need to know how these measures are being implemented, what the timeline is, and how the measures will be monitored and enforced. They also need assurance that steps are being taken to update protocols and processes as the situation evolves.
Leaders and managers will shoulder much of the responsibility for ensuring a smooth return to the workplace. Some of our clients are considering holding mandatory virtual “reentry boot camps” for them, focused on topics such as dealing with ambiguity, building personal resilience, developing emotional intelligence, and leading hybrid teams. Armed with insights into these areas, managers can model needed behaviors and share them with their teams to support new ways of working.
People managers will need to take greater responsibility for employees’ well-being. This includes familiarizing themselves with the warning signs of emotional distress, factoring more time into their days for checking in with staff, helping team members understand what is and isn’t within their control, and learning how to triage real-time issues while other resources are called upon to help.
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