As COVID-19 restrictions have eased across Australia, employees have started returning to workplaces that are vastly different from the ones they left behind. Whilst the term “unprecedented” is undoubtedly an accurate adjective in 2020, it does not mean we are rudderless in these uncharted waters. There are many other other crises and transitions we can look to for insight, research and proven practices.

Encouragingly, there are parallels between transitioning back to work after significant life events and returning to work post-COVID-19. For example, a friend took 8 months parental leave last year to care for her first baby, a similar length of time to that which many of us have spent working from home, tracksuit bound. While she did not return to work wearing a face-mask, she still felt nervous, experienced strong culture shock, and had to adjust to a new sense of normal; exactly my feelings when contemplating returning to the workplace after months in lockdown.

Zahra Abrams in a recent piece for the American Psychological Association sums it up nicely that “while the pandemic differs from other crises in our lifetime, research and expertise developed in past crises can help to inform our responses”.  Here we describe evidence-based pointers for organisations to help support their staff transition back to a Covid-normal workplace:

• The same but different – acknowledge that employees will move through phases of the reintegration journey at their own speed just as some new parents transition back to the office more easily than others. Psychologist Kimberley Norris, suggests that how we manage returning to COVID-normal work is shaped by factors including, our wellbeing before, our experiences during isolation, and strategies we use to navigate post-isolation. Everyone experiences different demands on their brains from reintegration and some may have difficulties concentrating, problem-solving and being productive. Because everyone’s experience is different, it is important that we ask and don’t assume!

• A warm welcome – welcome your employees back to work as you would a new employee or someone returning from a career break. Some employees may take time to feel fully onboard again after the long duration working from home. Ensure they have a clear plan to move forward and access to tools, resources and support; similar to what they would receive in an onboarding or induction program for the first weeks on the job to enhance their focus and engagement.

• Flexibility is key – as with new parents, flexible work arrangements can assist with the challenges of juggling work and life. A proportion of your workforce may not have accessible or affordable childcare options and may need to continue working remotely for some time. As flexible work arrangements have been beneficial for many throughout COVID-19 lockdowns, consider allowing flexible hours or later start times upon request, and be careful not to schedule anything important at times you know they’ll miss.

• Make room for grief – new parents may grieve a loss of their old identity and freedom after having a baby which can leave them feeling disoriented upon their return to work. Similarly, at this time employees may be grieving lost loved ones, uncelebrated milestone events, lifestyle changes, and their pre-Covid workplace. Kubler-Ross’ Change Curve suggests that people respond to change and grief in different ways. This model can enable us to identify which stage of change employees are in (e.g., shock, denial, frustration, etc.,) and appropriately respond to their needs. With constant shifts due to COVID-19, leaders can manage change flexibly and innovatively in ways that recognise what employees are experiencing.

• Shaken and stressed – While some may feel energised by the prospect of returning to the workplace, others may feel overwhelmed by the uncertainty of the new Covid-normal – also termed ‘reverse culture shock’. As with new parents who have experienced prolonged time away from the workplace, employees may have idealised what they left behind and find that things have changed in their absence. Consider implementing a phased return-to-work approach which would allow workers to return to the workplace in a way that allows them to ease back at their own pace.

Although no COVID-19 return-to-work frameworks can be drawn upon, evidence-based strategies can help us to navigate these unchartered waters. Using transition support and structured return-to-work strategies, will improve your employees’ ability to transition back to work smoothly, helping to lower the cost of expenses such as absenteeism and lost productivity. 

Tess Collins, Transitioning Well

References

Abrams, Z. (2020, July). Leadership in Times of Crisis. Retrieved fromhttps://www.apa.org/monitor/2020/07/leadership-crisis

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Foundation (2020). Kübler-Ross Change Curve. Retrieved from https://www.ekrfoundation.org/5-stages-of-grief/change-curve/

Norris, K. (2020). The Path Back from Social Isolation: A Guide By Kimberley Norris, University of Tasmania.

Schwarzer, R., & Knoll, N. (2003). Positive coping: Mastering demands and searching for meaning. In S. J. Lopez & C. R. Snyder (Eds.), Positive psychological assessment: A handbook of models and measures (p. 393–409). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/10612-025