Back to the office: expert advice from Dr Harry Barry and others
Back to the office: 'The first thing is just be kind to each other and be kind to ourselves and accept that it will take a little bit of time to get back some kind of normality again.'
Imagine you were imprisoned for 18 months, and you come out into the real world, and have to start integrating again with everybody.
We’ve been living in a very institutionalised way over the last 18 months, where we’ve been told what to do all the time. And we’ve been able to work from home, but that has created a huge pressure for people because it’s very isolated.
So, when people are coming back to the office, they’re going to have to do a lot of re-socialisation, focused on what it’s like to deal with people face-to-face again.
I think the first thing people will struggle with will be feeling “Will people notice that I’m anxious, that I’m a bit awkward, that I don’t feel as comfortable?” So put up your hand and say, “Are you finding this just as a strange and as awkward as I am?” Because by doing that, we normalise this experience because it’s the situation that’s abnormal, not us.
We’ve all been told for the guts of a year-and-a-half to stay away from each other, so it’s inevitable that people are going to feel anxious about being in close proximity again.
The first thing is just be kind to each other and be kind to ourselves and accept that it will take a little bit of time to get back some kind of normality again.
- Dr Harry Barry is a Drogheda GP and the author of Embracing Change
I think there will be a lot of challenges for companies as we hopefully exit Covid, and as with most things relating to human resources, communication will be essential. I think a lot of companies are having to accept that most, if not all, of their staff are going to require some sort of blended, hybrid, working-from-home/working-in-the-office arrangement.
I think employers have to decide as best they can their return-to-work policy: is it going to be a staggered opening, are they going to bring small groups of people in together, and then gradually go back to full-time? What are they going to provide in terms of hybrid working, are they going to only do it when staff request it, and what are they going to do when those requests are made?
What is the timeline? Is it going to be that everyone is expected, subject to restrictions being lifted, by the end of the year to be back full-time, or are they going to move to another model?
The more that you can consider, and pre-empt issues, and communicate what arrangements are going to look like, the better it will be for everyone.
I do think, whatever you’re going to do, consultation is key. You have to get the ideas and thoughts of the staff before imposing something that you’re then stuck with, and you’re trying to enforce rather than do collectively, and I think that would apply for most HR issues in the workplace.
- David Bell is managing director of the HR Department Limited
I fear we’re heading into a monumental disaster.
We’re awaiting the new return-to-work protocol, which we are told will not have any legal status. It will be a “guidance” and we will be doing “personal responsibility”. Which effectively is Government doing a Pontius Pilate on this, hoping that infection figures go through the floor, and hoping that they won’t have workplace outbreaks.
Employers cannot ask employees’ vaccination status, and if they know their status, they cannot retain that knowledge under GDPR. This is a mess because if there’s an outbreak in the workplace, who do you send home?
This is the perfect storm for litigation. A few of us sat down and worked out that in some situations, we actually believe at this stage that probably 95% of employers will be in a situation where 100% of their employees can sue them successfully, whether they’re vaccinated or unvaccinated, because of the complete mess that’s going to be in place.
At the moment, and you can quote me on this, I have no doubt that this is a nightmare scenario, unless Government steps up to the plate, and gives clear and definitive guidelines, not ones that are tarted up as simply “personal responsibility”, and actually bring in rules and regulations, so lawyers like me will not be as busy as we would otherwise be.
- Richard Grogan is a leading employment lawyer
The pandemic has accelerated change in the way we work and think about work. Although remote working has been available for decades, most workplaces refused to allow it so flexible working practices were the exception instead of the rule.
Reports showing that employee productivity increased during Covid has reduced some anxieties in more traditional industries. The days of “command and control” leadership are over. Smart managers realise that “facetime” in the office doesn’t necessarily lead to increased productivity.
Leaders need to create safe ways for people to communicate about their needs in terms of flexible working hours from home and in the office. Mistakes will be made but eventually, everyone will figure out what works for them and the company. Working from home is not possible for every job so there needs to be some give and take to ensure the business succeeds.
Although it’s tempting for the top team to think only of the bottom line, it’s worth considering what is gained, instead of lost, through flexible working. How much is saved on office rentals, heating, electricity, hotel, flights, commuting time and expense? What are the benefits for employee mental and physical health and stress levels? How does this help improve the environment and meet sustainability and corporate responsibility goals? Does it help with employee retention? Has it improved the diversity of your workforce?
The pandemic opens up all sorts of work-life possibilities and the best leaders will make the most of it now and in the future.
- Margaret E Ward is a leadership consultant and CEO of Clear Ink
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