It’s not happening quickly enough for some and too slowly for others, but most companies are in the midst of managing a return to work and grappling with a very different post COVID-19 world and what it means for employees. HR professionals are paying close attention to how well employees are faring and are looking to build new forms of employee care into company cultures and values. But maybe there is something more they can do to foster employee trust and safety?
Business executives and their HR leads have important roles to play in looking after employees’ emotional wellbeing, whether their teams come back into physical offices or continue to work from home. Indeed, many employers want to make changes explicit, in the form of pledges that document how they’ll support new ways of working and refreshed company values.
These pledges could help employees better understand what they can expect, what they can ask for, and what support is available to them as they navigate the inevitable uncertainties ahead. They are meant to provide at least some answers to the questions most employees have right now: If I’m returning to a physical workplace, how am I going to feel safe and comfortable about doing that? What if I’m in a vulnerable group or still shielding family members from potential infection? What are the long-term measures in place to make working from home a positive option, emotionally as well as practically, for me?
A new social contract
Answering these questions puts new burdens on HR teams and can create anxiety for employees themselves as they consider their own priorities and concerns. For instance, if people are worried about losing their jobs if the business doesn’t recover sufficiently or quickly enough, they may feel they have to check their safety concerns for fear of marking themselves out for redundancy.
To boost and maintain morale, plus demonstrate due care and attention to the safety of the entire workforce, employers need to be one step ahead of any issues that might arise, and also ensure they ‘go the extra mile’ to provide reassurance to staff.