For the past few years, more workers than ever have been working from the comfort of home. However, that seems to change as many of them return to the office. So, if you’re about to go back in, you may want to prepare. Here are a few tips to ease the transition back to in-person work.
1. Set Aside Some Extra Money for Fuel
Getting to work from home may have been a huge boon to your monthly budget. Not only did you avoid the money spent on office clothes, but you also got to avoid the commute. So, driving to work every day may sound like it’s going to be a drag.
If you’ve been at home for the last few years, gas prices might be surprising. They’re higher than ever in many parts of the country, so make sure to prepare for them. Otherwise, refueling your car could be more of a burden than anticipated.
2. Relaunch the Office in a Hybrid Setting
Sure, many workers perform better if they’re working at an office. But, that doesn’t mean everyone has to be there to work well.
So, if you can bring a few people to the office, you may want to start there. Instead of telling everyone to come back simultaneously, ask a couple of them. That way, you can help them readjust to in-person work before bringing in more people.
3. Bring in Essential Employees First
When transitioning to in-person work, start by first bringing in the most essential. For example, if someone is responsible for IT, you may want to bring them in. Since IT managers must manage their infrastructure, they’re more important than other roles.
As more employees start working at the office, you can bring in others. Then, over time, you’ll have an entire office full of working-class folk again.
4. Redesign the Office’s Layout
Modern commercial office furniture has many benefits, making the place more comfortable. That’s why it has been so popular among managers, especially during this transition.
By creating a comfortable work environment, transitioning to the office isn’t as hard. So, when employees complain about change, get some furniture to make sure they’re comfy. As long as they feel good at work, they’ll have less to complain about there.
5. Update Employee Computers and Hardware
For the most part, employees have been using their equipment if they were working from home. So, many of them have seen better results using their stuff. Going back to the office shouldn’t force them to downgrade, either.
So, ask your employees whether they’ve been using personal equipment at home. If so, you may want to question why that’s the case. More than likely, they’ve had better experiences using outside equipment. To fix that, replace the stuff they’re using at the office.
6. Schedule Your Alarm Earlier to Compensate for the Commute
Besides fuel costs, time is another resource you’ll need to manage. Unfortunately, driving to the office takes much longer than getting ready at home. So, you’ll need to set your alarm for earlier than usual if you’re going back in.
Unless you have enough time to get ready in the morning, you’ll be late. So, try to set the alarm an hour earlier than you have been. That way, you’ll have enough time to get ready and drive to work without being late.
7. Give Employees More Time Off
Since your employees have been working from home, they may not want to go back. If you force them to be at the office, they may look elsewhere for work.
To prevent that, try giving them more flexibility regarding scheduling. That way, if they want to take a few days off, it’s not a problem.
Getting Back to the Office
Even though we may not feel excited about in-person work, it’s time for a change. So, everyone has been preparing for the great return, and most have made some changes. If you’re getting ready to go back into the office, you’re not alone. Hopefully, this advice will have given you a bit of help by then, too.
