We are all thinking the same thing as lockdown restrictions start to ease … how do I get my team back into the office safely and with as little disruption as possible, I know I am.

Getting back into the office and adapting to normality can be exciting and daunting for you and your team, because you want to make sure you don’t rush by making sure you spend time carefully planning the transition to allow you and your team to get back to the ‘new normal’!

Your team maybe worried about their safety, you will be worried about ensuring your team are safe and you can run your business with the new restrictions in place. We have had lots of conversations with our clients about how this can happen and also how they can bring temporary staff safely back to their offices too.

You will find a lot of guidance on the Government health and safety page but hear are few of our tips to get you going.

Tip 1: Communicate with your staff to see what will make them feel safe and comfortable

We have all been social distancing for what feels like forever, but this has been and will be going forward, important to maintain safety around the country and to saves lives. But how do you get your team to feel comfortable within your office after quarantining for so long? … Communication is key, ask them questions, send out digital surveys and see what works for you and them.

Tip 2: Maintain flexible working if you can

Since this crazy pandemic started, we all had to adapt to different working styles and that includes working from home. Staggering your team and having the flexibility for home and office work, allows you to adhere to all social distancing guidelines and slowly ease your team back into the office.

Tip 3: Maintaining motivation and morale

We have all got so used to having Zoom meetings and possibly being furloughed, that the team morale and motivation can be hard to maintain. The difficult few months during this awful pandemic has caused anxiety and uncertainty for us all, so keeping positive energy and motivation to boost morale in your office is key!

Tip 4: Provide additional health and safety

Hopefully you have managed to do a deep clean before coming back to the office, this is certainly something that will put your team at ease. Are you able to provide your team with equipment that will help them feel safer and prevent the spread of any germs around the office?

For example, it’s a good idea to fit hand sanitisers to walls (particularly beside doorways and in kitchen areas) and encourage everyone to use them frequently throughout the day. Germs spread quickly around offices even when you’re not dealing with a pandemic, so when you get back in the office, everyone needs to be extra proactive in keeping the place clean. Everyone will need to play their part in order for it to work: anti-bacterial wipes on desks is a good reminder for your team to wipe down their keyboards and phones regularly.

So good luck in getting back to the office pain free, stay safe and enjoy your team being back together, with social distancing rules in place.