Sounds like a lot of pressure to get it right, doesn’t it? Making major investments in an office can feel especially precarious in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic that shook up everything we knew about working.

This is especially true about the space where we work. Seemingly overnight we pivoted from offices to working from home. The change was fast, sweeping, and unpredictable.

Sinking time and resources into the best office design can seem like a gamble these days. Enter dynamic office design and the built-in flexibility it brings.

Never heard of it? Not quite sure how to pull it off? Wondering if a dynamic office design is right for your business? Read on to learn about dynamic office design and how to create it.

What is dynamic office design and its purpose?

Much like its name suggests, a dynamic office design is one that’s anchored in flexibility. Unlike static rows of cubicles or even a set-in-stone open office layout, dynamic designs are all about the capacity for change.

This interior design philosophy prizes the ability of a space to not only transform, but to transform quickly. When it comes to dynamic office design, it means applying the broader interior design philosophy to office spaces in particular.

The idea is that, by deploying this approach, one space can have the ability to serve multiple purposes. Maybe you’re not quite sure what your office space will be used for in our new normal.

A dynamic design approach can also be a solution for a rapidly changing business.

Perhaps you have a small space and need it to be as functional as possible. Dynamic office design could be the answer you’ve been looking for.

A dynamic design approach can also be a solution for a rapidly changing business. As the pandemic taught us, operations can be required to grow or shrink on short notice.

A dynamic office design lends itself to these changes. A design that’s built on flexibility is able to adapt better and more quickly to changing business needs.

What are the benefits of dynamic office design?

A dynamic office design isn’t just an excellent way to meet the changing needs of office spaces. It also has direct benefits to offer employees, too. According to Global Office Solutions, a dynamic office design can:

• Improve morale. By creating an office design that each person can customize to create a work environment that works the best for them, this approach gives employees power and choices they typically don’t have. How many people can say that they get to create their own ideal workspace each day?
• Boost creativity and collaboration. Spaces can be constructed and deconstructed as needed. If employees need to collaborate, they can quickly devise the best creative working environment for their collaboration.
• Offer a socially distant working environment. Especially in the wake of the pandemic, it’s important to be able to adapt a space to public health needs. A dynamic office design can expand and contract as needed, bringing people together or spacing them out.
• Change based on who is in the office on a given day. As COVID precautions fade into the background, many businesses are bringing their workers back into the office a couple of times a week. That means that each day, the people who are working in the office and the work that’s being done in the office are different. A dynamic office design helps to ensure that the needs of each day’s different workers are met.

How to create and implement a dynamic office design

For those who came up in more static office environments, it can be difficult to envision how a dynamic office design might work. Luckily, many of us have already seen a dynamic office layout and have likely worked from one at some point already — coworking spaces!

Not every coworking space uses a dynamic office layout, but many of them do. As the Home Journal notes, there are plenty of hybrid, multi-use spaces already in existence to draw inspiration from.

New York City’s Spring Place is both a collaborative working space as well as a private social club. The venue houses everything from executive suites to a restaurant and private dining rooms.

Her Majesty’s Pleasure in Canada is a cafe, boutique, bar, and beauty salon all wrapped into one.

While these places likely have much more space to work with than the average small business, you get the gist: It’s all about making 1 space serve multiple purposes.

How do you do that in an office, you ask? Here are some key elements:

Focus on space over furnishings

The place to start with a dynamic office design is with the space itself. There are 3 takes on space to consider: The immediate surroundings of every employee (think desks and the like), the larger environment (individual rooms), and the overall environment (the vibe and ambiance of the office as a whole).

Additionally, there has to be space for everyone who comes into the office to work and meet. There also has to be a unifying and cohesive approach to the entirety of the space overall. Once you know how you want to use the space, then you can move on to furnishing it.

Choose portable, lightweight furnishings

The goal is to be able to quickly and easily move things in and out of the way. If your office’s furniture is too heavy or too large to move by just 1 person, then it’s not lending itself to a dynamic office.

That doesn’t mean that you can’t have bulky items like super large plants in the office, just that you should think about how you can move them. Dollies are a great way to ensure that even the heaviest of furnishings are able to be easily wheeled in and out of the way.

Opt for modular solutions whenever possible

In addition to furnishings that are portable and lightweight, you’ll also want to opt for modular solutions as much as you can.

Whether it’s desks or couches, a modular design means that the furniture itself is meant to be assembled in different ways depending on the space and its needs. Movable partitions can go a long way in helping to transform spaces for different uses.

Follow the lead of small living

Especially if you have a small office space, taking tips from small living can help make the most of your space. But even if you don’t, the multi-use, make-the-most-of-every-square-inch philosophy that rules tiny homes can be applied to your office.

As much as you can, don’t waste space by not considering it or letting it be multi-use. If you have a staircase, can you turn it into storage or a bookshelf? Don’t forget to make the most of all of your vertical space, especially if you have a small office. There’s more than just floor space available to use.

Start small with dynamic office design

If converting your space into a dynamic office design sounds stressful, don’t worry. Start small with little tweaks here and there.

Slowly swap out heavy furniture for more lightweight, modular pieces. Put heavy things on wheels. When you make new investments in office accoutrements, opt for things that can be multi-purpose.

Pivoting to a dynamic office design doesn’t have to be a major investment all at once. Of course, you can do a big overhaul if that’s what you prefer, but you don’t have to. It’s all about finding what works for you, your unique business, and the employees who compose it.

The post What Are Dynamic Office Layouts? (And How to Create One) appeared first on Workest.

A review of what’s changed and what remains the same in handling the pandemic may help you continue keeping your employees and workplace as safe and healthful as possible.

A CDC summary of COVID-19

Summarizing the updates, the CDC says that the tools for handling the pandemic and what the agency sees as a high level of immunity among the population have reduced the risk of illness and death.

The agency maintains that to prevent COVID-19-related health problems and death, people must:

• Understand the risks of infection.
• Get tested if they have virus-type symptoms.
• Protect themselves with vaccines, therapies, and nonpharmaceutical remedies.
• Wear masks if exposed to the virus.
• Self-isolate for five or more days if infected.

The CDC also says that vaccines and other preventive therapies can protect people at high risk of infection and reduce the strain on the healthcare system in treating those who are infected.

CDC dismisses precautionary quarantine

The CDC has stopped recommending precautionary quarantine to slow the spread of COVID-19. The previous guidance advised people who’ve been exposed to the virus or who weren’t up to date with immunization to self-quarantine for 5 days as a precaution. Now the agency has eliminated precautionary quarantine and is focused on preventative measures that involve:

• Testing
• Vaccines
• Booster shots
• Masks

According to the CDC, testing can detect infections early so that people who are infected can get the treatment they need as soon as possible and reduce the risk of becoming ill, dying, and spreading the virus to others.

Vaccines, boosters, and masks are key

The agency always recommended testing and vaccines as they became available, along with the other preventive steps it’s now encouraging. However, a closer look at each measure shows where the CDC has adjusted its guidance to control the virus’s spread.

Vaccination and boosters

The guidance now recommends that staying up-to-date on immunization is key to reducing the spread, transmission, and risks of COVID-19.

The CDC has consistently pushed for vaccinations and, later, booster shots to control the virus. But the shift toward encouraging people to get booster vaccinations regularly stems from the center’s concern about what it cites as a low booster rate, 32%, among people eligible for immunization in the U.S.

The agency expects boosters for the Omicron variant to be available by September 2022. This forecast also may account for an adjustment in the guidance.

Masks

The CDC still recommends that those who recently have had a confirmed case of COVID-19 or who may have been exposed to the virus wear masks for 10 days when around others. People should be tested after being exposed to the virus within five or more days, according to the agency’s recommendation.

The agency’s emphasis on masking is somewhat of a replacement for the precautionary quarantine recommendation. The agency advises those who are symptomatic or tested positive for the virus to isolate themselves after the symptoms have subsided for five days or 24 hours, whichever lasts the longest and wear a mask for 10 full days when around others.

Testing

Under the updated guidance, the CDC recommends that screening tests, however they’re administered, should include everyone, regardless of their immunization status. The agency’s stand is that testing only those who are unvaccinated may fail to uncover what it calls “the demonstrated risk of breakthrough infections,” particularly among those who aren’t current with their booster shots.

Testing can detect infections early, helping infected people get the treatment they need as soon as possible. According to the CDC, this reduces the risk of becoming ill, dying, and spreading the virus to others.

What updates mean for employers

If your company has followed CDC guidance, the updates may not seem complicated to adopt or observe. In fact, the CDC has streamlined earlier guidance so that it either coincides with measures employers already have been taking or removes burdensome recommendations, like the precautionary quarantine.

For example, the original guidance on quarantines kept employees exposed to COVID-19 temporarily out of the workplace. However, the recommendation was a problem for employers who didn’t or couldn’t offer their employees work-from-home options and for employees, especially those classified as hourly and/or essential, who had to perform their jobs onsite and who felt they couldn’t afford financially to be out on unpaid leave – not even for their health or anyone else’s.

As for COVID-19 vaccines, the CDC’s focus on people getting booster shots regularly to contain the spread of the virus isn’t as stringent as the vaccine mandates employers have adopted in some instances as a condition of employment.

For instance, in the 2021 Littler COVID-19 Employer Survey Report, less than 1% of 1,800 HR professionals, in-house lawyers, and C-suite executives mandated vaccines for their employers. Only 6% said they would do so when COVID-19 vaccines became available. By January 2022, companies like American Express, Delta Airlines, DoorDash, Lyft, CVS Health, Deloitte, and Google mandate vaccines with specific exemptions.

The agency recognizes the challenges employers face in helping to control the pandemic, including keeping the workplace safe and healthy.

The CDC doesn’t directly call out employers as screening administrators under the testing guidance. It does point out how vital detecting infections early is in controlling the health risks fueled by the virus. So, this isn’t the company’s responsibility even when the CDC recommends that everyone be tested.

How the CDC sets guidance

The CDC says its recommendations for public health change in response to science. As it evolves, so do the available biomedical tools and health-related data, such as the level of immunity in the general population and evolving variants of the virus.

The agency has a three-point, strategic approach to minimizing the risks of COVID-19, which relies on:

• Vaccination and therapeutic
• Using multicomponent prevention measures
• Protecting people who are at high risk for severe illness

The CDC maintains that COVID-19 “remains an ongoing public health threat,” especially with the relatively low booster rate among the U.S. population and the emerging variants of the virus mentioned earlier.

CDC’s message to employers

The agency recognizes the challenges employers face in helping to control the pandemic, including keeping the workplace safe and healthy as great numbers of employees return to the worksite after performing their jobs remotely.

The CDC says employers will continue to have a central role in reducing COVID-19 as a severe global health threat. The agency recommends that employers review local, state, industry-specific, and contractual mandates for handling the pandemic before adjusting their practices to meet CDC guidance.

The takeaway

The CDC guidance is not a list of federal requirements but a series of recommendations. According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), your organization isn’t obligated to follow them.

Although a U.S. judge blocked Pres. Joseph Biden, from making COVID-19 vaccines mandatory to control the virus in January 2022, you’re entitled to make vaccines and testing mandatory within local, state, and federal laws and with any necessary exemptions you find acceptable.

In the case of a severe health outbreak like a pandemic, an agency such as the CDC is likely to have access to critical, scientific-based information that you’ll need to help you make the best health and safety decisions for your business.

By reviewing all CDC guidance and keeping up with any changes, you’ll be better able to adapt or adjust your policies as needed to continue getting the pandemic and the risks it creates under control.

The post The CDC Updated Its COVID-19 Guidance: Here’s What It Means for Your Workplace appeared first on Workest.

A microaggression at work can look like a colleague who:

• constantly speaks over you or belittles your ideas
• continuously mispronounces your name even though you’ve corrected them several times over
• makes a joke about your culture or religion at your expense
• makes a harmful comment about your accent or sexuality

According to Harvard Business Review, microaggressions are based on a simple, damaging idea: “Because you are X, you probably are/are not or like/don’t like Y.”

Sometimes the victim of a microaggression may not even realize they are a target, because the comment can be so covert. In some scenarios, the aggressor may not even realize they’ve crossed a line with their behavior. Their commentary may not be obviously offensive, or their intentions may not have been malicious to begin with.

Whatever the cause and intent may be, the impact is that microaggressions can be harmful for your employees who are experiencing them. They can erode psychological safety, contribute to burnout, and cause your employees to feel invalidated.

If you’re trying to build a winning employee culture, the presence of microaggressions will make it difficult for your employees to thrive.

If you suspect microaggressions are eroding your company culture, it’s important to take action quickly! In this article, we will discuss:

1. What microaggressions are
2. How they might be impacting your culture
3. What the research says in 2022
4. How to spot microaggressions
5. What interventions are available to you

What are microaggressions in the workplace?

While microaggressions in the workplace can happen to anyone, certain groups are more vulnerable than others. According to the McKinsey Women in the Workplace Report, women are more likely than men to experience microaggressions in their day-to-day, and women of color are more likely to be victimized than White women.

Common microaggressions targeting these groups involve reactions around their language skills, questions about their judgment, ability, and competency, and comments around their emotional states.

These microaggressions are typically experienced across a spectrum of 3 themes:

Microassaults

An open act of aggression toward a marginalized group, aimed at discrediting them. For example, mocking someone’s accent by mimicking them as a joke.

Microinsults

This is similar to a backhanded compliment. The person making the microinsult says something negative about a marginalized group, but points you out as being different.

For example, they might say “You’re not like other [insert stereotype group] people.” In their eyes, they are giving you a compliment, when in reality they are insulting you.

Microinvalidation

This is when someone’s comment discredits the suffering or negative experience of a specific marginalized group. For example, this would include denying that sexism exists in a workplace where clear gender-based discrimination is taking place.

Microaggressions can happen anywhere.

Microaggressions can happen anywhere. In fact, 26% of Americans have experienced a microaggression at work, while 36% have witnessed them happening. Each individual in your organization is responsible for being deliberate and thinking about the words and tone they lead with in everyday interactions.

How do microaggressions impact company culture?

Company culture influences how your employees will interact with each other, and also how external stakeholders (like customers or suppliers) will interact with your brand.

If you have a culture rooted in strong values, the behavior of your employees should reflect those values. For example, if you have a company rooted in equality, then Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives should be lived values.

However, if the behavior of your individual employees begins to contradict what the values of the company are, you could begin to see your culture erode.

In the above example, if equality is a core value for your company, yet your employees continue to experience microaggressions from each other, your culture can become toxic. Your employees may begin losing trust that leadership actually cares about their well-being. They may wonder if the company values mean anything at all.

At the corporate level, this could impact your retention, your employee happiness, and overall productivity. If you have a culture that alienates your diverse talent, then you’ll not only have trouble retaining that talent, but you’ll struggle to attract diverse talent as well.

Microagressions erode psychological safety at work

Another impact that the presence of microaggressions can have on your business is the erosion of psychological safety.

Psychological safety refers to “a shared belief held by members of a team that they are safe to take interpersonal risks.” When there is a strong sense of safety within a team, people feel more comfortable speaking up and experimenting as they don’t fear being judged or shamed for voicing their opinions.

According to Accenture, companies that offer a strong sense of psychological safety also report:

• 76% more engagement
• 50% more productivity
• 27% reduction in turnover

If your employees are constantly feeling subtle or overt microaggressions, they may begin to feel like they don’t belong.

They may also experience mental health struggles and feel uncomfortable speaking up in meetings or sharing their opinions with others. They will refrain from taking risks or putting themselves up for promotion, as they fear making themselves more visible will lead to more aggression.

Other colleagues who witness these kinds of aggressions towards their peers may be influenced to hide who they are as well, as they see from their colleagues that psychological safety is not present.

This is obviously not the kind of environment you, as a business owner, want to create. This is why it’s so important to listen and look for when microaggressions happen, and call them out as you see them.

If you allow microaggressions to happen without intervention, you signal to your employees that this kind of behavior is acceptable. This all impacts the culture of your organization.

Microaggressions in 2022: The impact on your employees

Working remotely throughout the pandemic actually helped shield some marginalized groups from being constantly exposed to or experiencing microaggressions.

One report notes that “Only 3% of Black knowledge workers want to return to full-time co-located work (vs. 21% of White knowledge workers in the U.S.).”

The reason for this? Flexible work arrangements allowed Black employees to:

• Reduce the amount of energy spent on Code-Switching
• Avoid exposure to consistent microaggressions
• Have more space and time to bounce back when they did experience a microaggression

The same report above also indicates that flexible and hybrid working arrangements help Black employees by increasing:

• Their sense of belonging at work
• Their ability to manage stress by 64%
• And increasing their work-life balance by 25%

For racialized groups, having the option to work from home can help protect them from the toxicity of emotionally unsafe working conditions. Now, as businesses return to normal, it’s important to look out for microaggressions in your workplace.

If you’re planning on asking your employees to return to the office, consider what impact this might have on your marginalized groups without proper intervention.

How can you spot microaggressions in your workplace?

Are you concerned that microaggressions may be present in your workplace? To help detect them, start building awareness for yourself, and those around you.

At an organizational level, you can create a safe space for ERGs (Employee Resource Groups) to operate. One of the benefits of ERGs is that they allow employees with a particular commonality (religion, ethnicity, shared interest, gender, etc.) to share a space, support each other, and spread awareness.

If you’re well connected with your ERGs, the participants of these groups will be able to come to you and discuss problems they might be experiencing with microaggressions in the organization.

You could also create a pulse survey for your company and focus your questions around inclusion and psychological safety to get a better understanding of how your employees are feeling.

At a personal level, you can dedicate time to building your own awareness around the harmful effects that microaggressions can have. This will help you better spot them in your business.

You can take some time to learn about common phrases that may be offensive to the people around you. For example, do you ever catch yourself using the terms “blacklist?” This is just 1 of the many microaggression terms people often use.

What more can small businesses do to help their employees?

There are many initiatives you can implement at the organizational level to help improve the well-being of your employees and protect them from microaggressions. These include, but are not limited to:

Providing formalized training

The global spend on formal DEI training is set to reach 15.4 billion dollars by 2026. And for good reason! There are many different kinds of training you could provide for your employees that will help them learn more about anti-racism and allyship.

There are many different kinds of training you could provide for your employees that will help them learn more about anti-racism and allyship.

Training can be in the form of an instructor-led program, an eLearning series, a speaker series, or even guided discussions where your employees have a safe space to share their experiences with each other.

If you are going to provide training, be sure to:

• Allow your employees time in their workday to participate. This should not be something the company expects them to complete in their own free time.
• Hire a professional. This should not be an off-the-desk job for your HR team. There are professional consultants who can help you build proper training that will have a real impact.
• Make the learning continuous. DEI training should never be a box you check, nor should it be a 1-time event. Rather, it should be a continuous learning journey that is part of the culture.
• Have buy-in and participation from the executive level. Without their support and modeling, you’ll have a difficult time getting your employees to adjust their behavior or participate.

Evaluating your policies and workplace design

The pandemic has created an opportunity to redesign workplaces and policies to be more equitable for their employees of color. Three areas worth re-examining include:

Flexible working arrangements: If you’re looking at how to reduce microaggressions in the workplace, consider allowing your employees a more flexible work schedule. If working from home helps them feel safer and more capable of being productive, let them!

Hiring: How do you go about evaluating incoming candidates into your organization? Do you have a hiring strategy that removes bias from the get-go?

Disciplinary action: What about repercussions for those employees who demonstrate clear-cut microaggressions? Do you have a disciplinary policy and process in place that allows for proper investigation? If an act of aggression has in fact taken place, are there real consequences set in place?

Being an ally to your colleagues

Allyship can be defined as “when a person of privilege works in solidarity and partnership with a marginalized group of people to help take down the systems that challenge that group’s basic rights, equal access, and ability to thrive in our society.”

According to the McKinsey Women in the Workplace report mentioned earlier, while the majority of White employees see themselves as allies, they fail to speak up against racism in the workplace or advocate for women of color.

There is a gap between what people perceive to be proper allyship, and what their colleagues actually need in order to feel supported.

Lead by example to set expectations of appropriate behavior

To help with microaggressions, be deliberate in how you speak, educate yourself, and own up to the mistakes you make. As a leader, HR professional, or policy maker in your organization, your employees will be looking to you to gauge what kind of behavior is expected and appropriate.

Remember that it’s OK to make mistakes. Taking accountability, showing empathy, and seeking to understand will help you improve for the future and create a healthier workplace.

The impact of microaggressions in your organization is far from micro! If you want to get the best out of your employees, you owe it to them to create an environment where everyone is safe to be themselves.

The post Are Microaggressions Sabotaging Your Teams? appeared first on Workest.

People are saying goodbye to rigid 9-5 hours, in-person working arrangements, and are looking for location and time flexibility. According to that same LinkedIn report, workers who are happy with their time and location flexibility are 2.6 times more likely to report being happy, and 2.1 times more likely to recommend working for the company!

Many companies have adapted to employees’ desire for more workplace flexibility. If you’re 1 of these companies, a reasonable expectation is that productivity should remain consistent.

But what if you’ve found productivity has taken a hit? Or deliverables are taking longer? And what should you keep in mind when offering more flexibility?

Below we explore how you can find the right balance between workplace flexibility and maintaining a consistent level of productivity and output.

What type of flexibility are your employees looking for?

First of all, it’s worth briefly exploring what today’s workforce is looking for in terms of flexibility.

In terms of location, according to PWC research, what employees want is:

• More flexible working arrangements
• The opportunity to work remotely at least 3 days a week
• The option to go into the office a few days a week

Remote work provides the flexibility people are looking for, and they have no intention of giving that up any time soon. Overall, 39% of workers would consider changing jobs if their employer wasn’t flexible around remote work.

In terms of schedule, the key here, according to LinkedIn, is to focus on results, rather than hours. This means you can have core hours where your people are reachable, but there should be some room for letting people customize their working schedules based on their needs. This serves as a significant way to promote a better work-life balance.

How to make sure productivity and output remain consistent

Given this shift to a more flexible workplace, how can you as a manager make sure deliverables stay on track, and your people remain productive? Below we outline some strategies and key considerations.

Learn to trust your people

The most important muscle to begin flexing is learning to trust your people to do their jobs. As more and more companies move to a remote-first model, cultivating a culture of trust is key. This trust should extend to all levels of the hierarchy, and to all new hires.

What this means is that everyone at your company should be encouraged and allowed to work from home, without jumping through hoops. In one report, 10% of respondents said that only executives at their company were allowed to work from home!

Only allowing management to work remotely shows serious distrust in your people. The main goal here is to balance autonomy with control. Tethering people to their desks, and controlling management tactics, are a thing of the past.

Trust is crucial to your people’s ability to do their jobs, and remain engaged. It provides psychological safety, encourages a culture of honesty, and reduces turnover. The bottom line is that your goal is to foster a culture of trust, and everyone should be trusted to work from home.

Focus on results

Related to the above is making sure you focus on results, rather than presenteeism and hours of work. Of course, if you’re a billable business, hours are a major factor in your profitability, but the most important consideration is quality work delivered on time.

As Adobe outlines, the time high-quality work takes will reveal itself, rather than be dictated. So your focus should not be on the hours your employees are online, but rather on the type of output they’re delivering.

The time high-quality work takes will reveal itself, rather than be dictated.

Moreover, time does not equal productivity. One study found that workers are productive for a mere 2 hours and 53 minutes in an 8-hour workday!

This doesn’t mean that you need to tighten your grip on them. It simply means your focus should be on results.

Set concrete and explicit delivery dates

What this means is that everything should remain flexible, except goals, targets, and due dates. In other words, people can keep working in a flexible way, as long as they’re submitting their work on time, and hitting agreed-upon targets.

This provides the right balance between what management expects (reports, deliverables, KPIs, etc.), and what employees are looking for (the ability to work remotely, and on a schedule that is best for them).

While this should go without saying, it’s also important that deadlines are clearly communicated, both verbally and in writing. This is especially true if your workforce is spread out across various locations.

For example, if a project is due at the end of the week, make it clear what time zone you’re referring to. As HubSpot suggests, say the deadline in all time zones (ex: 5 pm EST/2 pm PST).

Ensure communication is strong throughout the organization

A strong communication strategy can never be overstated. This spans from company-wide messaging to everyday exchanges. One McKinsey study found that productivity increased by 20-25% when teams were well-connected!

In our communication strategy guide, we provide ways you can measure if your company has solid communication measures in place. Having good communication can increase productivity because there’s transparency, honesty, and expectations are clear.

Moreover, good communication increases employee cooperation, so you’re more likely to hit targets and goals.

Our guide covers all the key steps extensively, including:

• Doing an audit (how is your communication currently landing with your people?)
• Ensuring communications are aligned with strategic efforts
• Using the right messaging (gender-neutral, authentic, accessible, etc)

Businesses will have to change their mindset

Overall, the main takeaway is that our post-pandemic world might require a mindset shift. This mostly includes looser control over workers, and that’s not a bad thing! In fact, it leaves management time to focus on goals, targets, and quality service, rather than checking in on employees and micromanagement.

The value of flexibility in the workplace is huge: More than 75% of American workers say workplace flexibility is one of their top priorities.

In fact, 1 study found that flexibility was more important than salary when looking at a job offer. Another study found that companies with remote work options have 25% less employee turnover!

You’ll also save money: Employers save up to $11,000 in office-related costs for each remote worker. So this mindset shift will not only attract more workers but also help you retain your top talent and reduce costs.

The main message here is that your company is best served to focus on results, and trusting your people to deliver work. Of course, a potentially difficult conversation might have to take place if employees are not holding up their end of the deal, delivering poor-quality work, or missing deadlines.

The explicit agreement here should be that by offering your people the flexibility they want (and deserve!), there should be no drop in quality or missed deadlines.

The post Flexibility vs Productivity: How to Find the Right Balance for Your Company appeared first on Workest.

That doesn’t mean, though, that your business doesn’t have an office space or lease that you’re not interested in letting go of. So, then, how do you ensure that your (costly) space is being used without mandating an unpopular return to the office?

Perks, that’s how! In a remote working world, companies have to rethink what it takes to draw employees back to the office. Free coffee just isn’t going to cut it anymore when people have coffee makers at home.

These days, companies have to think outside of the box when it comes to office amenities. The best part? This isn’t just about making your current workers happy. Rethinking office amenities can offer a significant boost to your talent acquisition efforts, too.

What workers want

According to Gallup’s recent State of the American Workplace report, a whopping 91% of workers said that the most recent reason they left a job was for greater work-life balance. Plus, 63% of respondents said that they’re confident that they can find a job that’s as good as — or better than! — the job they have now.

This means that employees have options. And being forced to go into an office isn’t what they’re looking for. But perks and amenities that they want to take advantage of? That’s another story. Here’s a list of the popular perks that big and small companies are rolling out to entice employees into the office.

Naturally, this isn’t a must-have list. But it is intended to inspire. Think about what you see here and how you might be able to make something similar work within the confines of your unique business.

Monthly company-wide drop-ins

The one thing many workers miss when they’re working from home is the social connections that in-office work provides. So why not still offer ways for those connections to develop and thrive?

This could be anything from monthly happy hours to company-wide drop-ins where members of all teams can come to the office and co-mingle. This allows workers to break out of the social confines of their group alone.

Doggy daycare for pandemic pups

The Washington Post reports that more than 23 million American households adopted a pet during the pandemic. They’ve spent billions on pet food and products since 2020. Now that life is moving back to in-person, those expenses are expanding to include daycare and pet sitting services.

If you want to entice people with pandemic pups back into the office, consider offering doggy daycare. Occasional dog walking services can be a win, too, if full-time doggie daycare isn’t an option. Not only does this cut down on costs, but it makes coming into the office easier for those with pandemic pups.

Daycare for kids

The essential role of childcare was highlighted by the pandemic. After spending years juggling work and childcare from home, parents welcome a break.

Anything you can do to provide on-site childcare helps. Subsidizing the cost of external daycare can help employees have the time and space to go back to the office, too.

Free meals

Free snacks have been around for a while. People still love them, but they aren’t enough to woo work-from-home-ers back into the office. Free meals, however, can do the trick.

Even a simple cereal or salad bar can make the commute worthwhile by eliminating the need to factor in food before you go.

Coffee with the CEO

Thoughtful in-person experiences with leadership can go a long way. There’s undeniably something about meeting in person that Zoom can never replace, even if it can handle the basic functions of interacting.

Thoughtful in-person experiences with leadership can make a big difference.

Offer amenities like coffee with the CEO or other key leadership figures in the office on certain days. Face time with leadership is a perk that promotion- and development-focused employees will relish.

Quiet work spaces

There’s one thing about working from home that’s a challenge, and that’s finding quiet space. Whether you’re sharing your home office with a partner, have distracting pets, or have demanding children, the ability to focus at home can be… compromised.

Regular offices might not be much better, especially those centered around open concepts. So why not create some quiet space where your employees can come to focus without distractions? This can be as simple as designating a conference room for silent work. But it doesn’t have to stop there. You could create a full-blown library room.

Like traditional libraries, silence is key, but it doesn’t mean only work can happen there. It can be a place of solace and quiet enjoyment, too.

An on-site fitness center

Subsidized gym memberships are great, but they don’t do much for getting employees into the office. One thing you can offer is the ability to eliminate the commute element of gym memberships. By providing on-site fitness amenities, your employees can move seamlessly from work to the gym and back again.

A few investments can go a long way.

Don’t worry if you’re not a big business with the money or space to invest in a major fitness center. A few investments can go a long way. Consider providing low-impact things like yoga mats or kettlebells. Maybe you could consider investing in a couple of water rowers or Peloton bikes.

A simple sign-up sheet that can be digital through Google Docs can make splitting up the time on shared amenities a breeze.

Wellness amenities

Beyond just workout equipment, there are other wellness amenities you can add. Juice bars are popular options among health-focused employees. There are other options, too, like bringing in meditation or yoga teachers for weekly in-office classes or sessions.

Social spaces

While organized social gatherings might be what some employees want, they’re not everyone’s cup of tea. Some people prefer things to be a bit more organic. So why not help those connections along?

Set up a coffee bar where employees can make their own beverages, complete with an inviting seating area. When you have social spaces people want to use, you can bring that coffee shop vibe in-house.

Showers and bike storage

Plenty of people got used to driving way less during the pandemic. Instead, people have taken to biking and other forms of transportation. When it comes to wooing workers back to the office, consider amenities that support these lifestyle changes.

Offer bike storage, so that bike commuters have a safe and secure place to store their bike while working. Consider adding shower facilities or partnering with a nearby gym rather than installing it yourself. This way, those who want to bike to work can freshen up when they arrive. Otherwise, if people have to choose between being sweaty all day or staying home, they might very well choose the latter.

Making decisions about what’s best

If you’re not quite sure what amenities will truly draw your unique employees back into the office, just ask! Have direct conversations, encourage your managers and team leads to do so too, or send out an employee survey. Once you know what your workers want, you can find ways to accommodate their desires in a budget-friendly way.

It also helps to be honest about what you can address now and what will have to be worked towards in the future. Transparency and open and honest communication go a long way.

The post The Perks That Draw Employees Into the Office appeared first on Workest.

You may have recruited new grads for their first job out of college, or entry-level staffers, hired for a first job ever. They may have been on the payroll for a year or two but have never met their peers face-to-face.

Their home office setup was likely a comfortable (and convenient) environment — and let’s be honest, none of us was wearing shoes. Shifting to on-site may be intimidating and challenging.

Still, you can transition them into on-site work with some planning and patience.

Today’s workforce demographics

According to Purdue University Global, there are currently five generations in the workforce. Chances are, some learned to work exclusively in a remote environment. Making sure they transition smoothly might include understanding how each generation interacts.

Here’s today’s breakdown:

• 2%: Traditionalists — born before 1946
• 25%: Baby Boomers —1946 to 1964
• 33%: Generation X —1965 to 1980
• 35%: Millennials — 1981 to 2000
• 5%: Generation Z — 2001 to 2020

Gen Z probably took to remote work intuitively. This cohort is more than digitally native; they may have no experience in a world without technology. Research suggests Gen Z enjoys face-to-face interactions but doesn’t use a one-size-fits-all approach. Start with short in-person interactions to build rapport and comfort. Shift to in-person communications transitionally and individually.

Millennials are the largest demographic in the workforce today and account for every level of worker. This generation was the first to transition to a digital workplace on solid footing: most had personal experience with their own tech. Millennials value flexibility. Your desire to bring them back on-site overnight might be a pain point. Make the transition gradual, if necessary, to ensure you don’t lose seasoned talent to your remote-only competition.

Gen X coined the term work/life balance, and remote work may have been its zenith. But this group is flexible and adaptable. They work well with change and value informality. Working from anywhere may have been the most informal arrangement possible. Still, they may be anxious to get back to in-person interactions.

There is likely additional valuable experience in your workforce

You may think your Boomers will opt to retire rather than return. However, a recent survey from Harris suggests the majority would prefer to move to semi-retirement rather than leave the workforce. This group holds the knowledge that saw your organization through good times and bad. Work with them to transition back to the office, even if in a consulting role.

If you have any Traditionalists in your company, bringing them back may be more challenging. They may have health concerns that override the desire to return to in-person work. If possible, consider retirement planning to help them decide if it’s time to return or take the next step in their journey.

Most organizations would do well to make the transition gradually rather than resort to threats and ultimatums. You may be most successful in enticing employees back to on-site work on a case-by-case basis. Once you start getting them back, it’s time to re-acquaint (or acquaint) them with working while wearing shoes.

Make the space welcoming

Make returning to the office an occasion to be celebrated — not a burden to be endured. Post ‘welcome back’ signs offer perks and incentives. You might consider making your office a ‘slipper-friendly’ zone. Ask employees to bring in their fave fuzzy slippers to sport around the office. It’s a fun way to transition back to wearing shoes.

If you have any office swag — t-shirts, mugs, pens, etc., populate desks or workspaces. A donut on every desk — or a healthy alternative treat — is never a bad thing.

Be flexible

Driving in traffic or commuting via public transportation will be new territory for first-timers. Send links to commuter-schedule and traffic advisor apps. New-to-the-office staff may have to tweak their morning routine from comb-through-the-hair / clean shirt to fully dressed and out the door. They’ll need a bit of time to establish new habits. If you can, be flexible as they adapt.

Contrary to popular myth, people don’t adjust to new routines or change habits in 28 days. A U.K. study found it takes 66 days for people to adapt to a new pattern. You’ve invested resources in each staff member, don’t give up easily on them as they adjust to on-site.

Re-onboarding

Your onboarding process during the pandemic probably shifted to digital forms, training, and meetings. Re-onboard staff who’ve never been in the physical workspace to familiarize them with the landscape. Group tours of the office space, from work areas to supply closets and break rooms, might be a good way to let first-timers meet their colleagues in person in an informal setting.

Make the tours complete — include areas they might not need in the short term. They may be accustomed to phoning HR, but make sure first-timers know how to find them, as well.

Include visual aids, hand-outs, or electronic versions, of:

• Floor plans
• Maps
• Organizational charts
• Other materials that can help define the physical space

This is a space they’ve never encountered before.

Make time to socialize

Your Zoom meetings may have begun with a short socializing period, but not everyone got a chance to schmooze every time. Making friends at work is essential. Studies show employees who have a ‘work bestie’ find work more enjoyable and believe they’re more productive. Make time, especially in those initial weeks in the office, for staff members to get downtime together.

Arrange meet-and-greet events so workers can put a face to the person they’ve been emailing for the last year-plus. Consider bringing in lunches or snacks for teams to stop work and socialize together. Encourage employees to socialize during the transition — it may help them adapt more to working on-site.

Watch for signs of unrest

In a typical world, about one-third of workers quit their job within the first six months. We don’t have the data yet, but transitioning from remote to on-site work may restart the ‘new hire’ clock for many staff members who’ve never been in the office. The change of surroundings and an unfamiliar commute may feed into a feeling that, even though they’ve been employed for a year or more, they’re new to the organization.

Keep an eye out for first-timers especially. They can feel overwhelmed or neglected as they navigate out of the metaverse and into the real world.

Look for ways to help them network and make connections.

Make sure their supervisor is available whenever they feel out of their depth or overwhelmed. They’ll need support to make the shift successfully — let them know you’re there when needed.

Adapt virtual events

Virtual happy hours were common during the shutdowns — they can easily be live events at local bars and restaurants. If your team members had remote virtual meet-ups, encourage them to translate them to real-world events. Remind staff members of the need to be responsible — unlike virtual social hours, they’ll need to get home safely after real-world events.

Target some for extra attention

Working from home meant being managed at home. Many pandemic hires never met their manager in real life. Communication during remote work might have been minimal. There may need to be an adjustment to lengthier, more detailed conversations for the employee and their supervisor.

Be patient — the rapport built with the staff member remotely can shift to in-person if you give it a chance. If there wasn’t a chance to make a connection in the past, the opportunity is now.

In addition to transitioning their own staff to (or back to) on-site work, managers are making the change as well. For new or even seasoned managers, the transition to on-site management can mean less reliance on technology to monitor workers and production and more reliance on people skills.

A refresher course might help managers read the room or look for signs that someone is uncomfortable or out of their depth. Provide your management team with resources you have available or leadership training online, and be ready to support them, as well.

Transitioning newer hires to on-site work is possible

For hires who’ve never worked on-site, the transition may be awkward. Some will ease into their workspace: others may falter. The key to a successful conversion to on-site will be making the space welcoming, watching for signs they’re overwhelmed, and being there to provide support.

The post First Time In the Office: Helping Remote Hires Transition To On-site appeared first on Workest.

We’ve made it halfway through 2022. Earlier in the year, we identified the 5 challenges HR is facing and how to overcome them. Some of these continue to challenge human resources professionals, while other major challenges are emerging for the 2nd half of the year.

Successfully navigating each of these challenges in real-time will set your organization up for a more successful year in 2023. The 5 major challenges the human resources team will face the rest of this year are the Great Resignation, inflation and a possible recession, remote work, competitive benefits packages, and rapid changes in skill requirements.

While human resources departments are often overlooked, research shows that a successful department is critical to the success of any business, from an entrepreneur to a large organization. Let’s look at some strategies that can help mitigate and overcome any obstacles that HR departments face.

HR challenge #1: The Great Resignation among workers

Experts agree that the Great Resignation wasn’t caused by the pandemic. It started earlier, but we’re certainly feeling the effects of it now. Here’s the thing, though: the Great Resignation is avoidable.

Toxic environments, feeling undervalued, salary inequity, and a lack of work-life balance are a few of the resignation reasons employees cite. A good human resources strategy can counteract these issues and help retain valuable employees.

Organizations that are working through the Great Resignation have an opportunity to realign their human resources and address the underlying issues in their company.

Employee engagement and productivity will also remain a challenge for those employees that are left behind. That’s especially the case as they navigate the feelings associated with losing colleagues. Make changes now to ensure these employees feel supported and don’t further contribute to the trend.

HR challenge #2: Inflation and recession

Businesses were already grappling with pandemic-induced supply chain issues. For some of us, it was delayed computer orders while others suffered even greater business setbacks.

Now, inflation and a pending recession are adding to the mix. This means that human resources teams need to create strategies for addressing both issues now.

Most human resources departments were already reducing their budgets in the first part of 2022. Inflation and a recession might require further reductions.

One option is to further digitize the human resources process and adopt HR software that creates greater efficiencies. There are a number of sound strategies for reducing expenses. The most important thing is to find some that work for your company and implement them. Then stay with the strategy long enough to see a return on investment.

Employee fears are often heightened during downturns. Consistent and continuous internal communication is an essential tool to manage these fears.

The human resources department should work with organizational leaders on a communications strategy. They should also provide updates on benefits, remote work, and other factors impacting employees.

HR challenge #3: Employees want to continue working remotely

The pandemic proved that remote work is possible and that many can be successful working remotely. Some companies prefer workers to be remote and there are savings involved. However, this isn’t an option for all companies, and in some cases, we need our boots on the ground and in person.

The challenge human resources professionals face with remote work is employees that don’t want to return to the office or request remote work when the rest of the team is in person.

In fact, 85% of managers have already stated remote work is the new normal; employees know that it’s an option at many organizations. This fact, combined with the Great Resignation, adds additional challenges to handling the request.

It’s time to ditch our traditional models and the way things have always been done to find solutions that work for everyone.

We recommend compromising with employees to find a solution that works for both of you. Many employees state they’re more productive at home, and that’s beneficial for the company’s bottom line and employee morale.

Work out a flexible schedule with employees so that the office is always covered, or they spend half their week at home and half in person. It’s time to ditch our traditional models and the way things have always been done to find solutions that work for everyone.

HR challenge #4: Competitive benefits packages

Inflation and a potential recession may end up helping employers find and retain talented employees. Competitive benefits packages are another factor that never goes out of style in employee recruitment and retention.

Human resources teams must address their benefits packages and ensure they’re competitive to meet the demands of 2022 employees and beyond. Offering health insurance and a 401(k) is no longer enough. That doesn’t mean ordering a bunch of ping pong tables and some couches will fix it either.

Instead, human resources need to align the benefits with the core values of the company and the employees. In some cases, this may mean switching to a 4-day workweek or allowing flexible schedules for employees with children.

Career development, education support, floating holidays, and transportation subsidies are all benefits companies use.

More doesn’t mean better with a competitive benefits package either. We’ve found that fewer, higher-quality benefits have a greater impact than a plethora of unused benefits. Again, align the package with the company and employee values, and it’ll succeed.

HR challenge #5: Rapid changes in skill requirements

Some days it feels like the world is spinning faster and that’s true of the skill requirements for our employees too. Technology has improved by leaps and bounds, and this has caused some rapid changes in skill requirements.

We’ve also seen business functions change thanks to the pandemic, and gaps that need addressing because of retirements and resignations.

All existing and new employees will experience rapid changes in skill requirements. Human resources teams can support employees through this transition by hiring new employees with a lifelong learning mindset.

They can also support them by offering professional development opportunities for all employees. Leadership teams can also incorporate new skill sets into career development.

Rapid changes in skill requirements aren’t restricted to employees. You’ll also face these challenges as a human resources professional. Preparing your team for this challenge is just as important, if not more so, than preparing employees.

The human resources department has an opportunity to lead the organization through this process and model how adaptive and resilient we can all be when rapid changes in our skills are required.

Staying 1 step ahead of human resources challenges in 2022

Staying 1 step ahead of the major challenges facing human resources teams is possible. It requires a future-thinking mindset that uses strategic thinking.

Address each problem with the long-term vision for the company in mind, and after reviewing a decision’s unintended consequences and potential pitfalls.

These 5 major challenges are interconnected and the solutions for each have a ripple effect on the others. Therefore, implementing strategies to address the Great Resignation also improves the response to rapid changes in skill requirements and handling inflation.

We will never return to a world where we created 5-year plans. But we don’t need to. Our plans can be as agile as the organizations we work in. Addressing all 5 of the major challenges human resources teams are facing the rest of this year will help your organization thrive and be ready for anything that 2023 brings.

The post 5 Major Challenges HR Teams Will Face the Rest of This Year appeared first on Workest.

Wage wars were the norm, as businesses struggled to counter-offer employees that turned in their notice. Some organizations found themselves priced out of the market. For others, workers left without any notice at all — pressured by the new employer to start immediately.

In 2022 a good percentage of the workers who left for ‘greener pastures’ are regretting that decision. A recent Harris Poll survey for USA TODAY found around 20% of those who left wish they’d stayed put. Only 26% of 2,000 respondents said they liked their new jobs enough to stay. This may be good news for business leaders that lost talent during the resignation wave. You may be able to capitalize on that regret and recover lost employees.

Why the great resignation regret?

The survey found that of those workers who weren’t happy with their decision to move, 36% felt they lost ‘work/life balance.’ Another response was not surprising — 30% said the role was different than they expected:

• 24% said they missed the culture at their old job
• The same amount said they didn’t properly weigh the pros and cons before quitting

These numbers suggest businesses may be well poised to poach their ex-employees back into the fold. It might take a bit of bravery to make those initial calls. However, considering those staff members may not only be regretting their decision to leave but could actually come back and hit the ground running, it’s worth the effort.

The Muse conducted another survey and found that 72% of workers experienced some form of shock after making a move — 29% said it was the job and the company.

Still not convinced? The Muse conducted another survey named the regret ‘Shift Shock.’ They found that 72% of workers experienced some form of shock after making a move — 29% said it was the job and the company.

The good news from the survey is that:

• “48% said they would try to get their old job back if they felt shift shock in their new company
• 80% said it was acceptable to leave a new position in six months or less if they weren’t happy”

If your ex-talent is within (or near) that window, you may be striking at precisely the right time with an offer to return.

Re-opening the door

Assuming you lost employees you want back, a good way to start exploring if they’re unhappy where they landed might be through colleagues who are still at your company. Friends they still connect with may be able to tell you if their ex-coworker is happy with the new position or regretting their choice.

You don’t want to pressure existing employees into doing recruitment for you — but it doesn’t hurt to ask. A casual ‘do you still talk to XYZ? Let them know they’re always welcome back’ might be all that’s needed to get the ball rolling.

Consider making it a company-wide effort

Let your staff know if they’re missing a colleague they still talk to, they can pass along that the door is open for the person who left to return. You might want to offer a referral bonus to employees who get exes back on the payroll:

• Staff members get a small payment
• Their bestie is back on the job
• You save on recruitment and training costs

Everybody wins.

When it comes time to fill a spot, your first phone call should be to an excellent worker who has left the fold.

HR and hiring managers have all the data they need to initiate calls to exes. A text, voice message, or email asking if they’re interested in discussing returning is all that’s needed. If they respond, you’re ahead of the recruitment game. If not, you know it’s time to move forward with a new hire.

Your ex-employees may be embarrassed they made a move in haste or think they’ve burned bridges. When you initiate a call to recruit, you’ve alleviated those concerns. We’ve all made bad choices — but all is forgiven!

How to entice your resignation exes

Former employees may have made the switch for more reasons than ‘I think it’s time for a change.’ As you plan to re-recruit, look through the employee’s exit interview materials to see if you can hone in on any specifics.

If you’re prepared to work with them on the issues that prompted them to leave, you may stand a better chance of getting them to return.

Money talks

For some, more money was the enticement. You may need to increase wages to get them back. In today’s market, the salary you didn’t think you could match when they left may be less than what you have to offer now. With the history and expertise they bring to the job, a bump in pay may be much less expensive in the long run.

If wages were the reason they left, discuss how you can bring them back at a rate that works for everyone. You may not have to match what they’re earning at the new job — they’re already unhappy there — but a compromise increase may be all that’s needed.

Remote control

For many employees, the reason to leave was having to return to on-site work. Working from home for over a year was hard to give up. Employees were better able to manage work and family obligations. When the call to get back to the office came, many found new jobs that didn’t require on-site. While they were able to work from home in the new role, the work itself might not be working out.

If returning to the office was the issue, your company is not alone. Even top employers are finding the need to threaten staff with termination if they don’t return to on-site work, at least part-time.

If remote work worked for you during the pandemic, is there a way to continue it to recover lost talent?

The Harris survey showed that 36% of respondents felt they lost work/life balance when they made a job change; another 24% missed the culture of their old position. You may be able to negotiate a hybrid arrangement to rehire.

These instances may be an opportunity to offer an ex-employee a chance to regain some of that balance. Open a discussion on how to make it work for you, them, and their coworkers. You may find a happy medium.

Resignation career blues

Another study from Pew Research found that, after salary, the top two reasons employees left their job were:

• No opportunities for advancement
• Feeling unappreciated on the job

If they regret making a move, you may be in a unique position to entice them back based on one or both of these sentiments.

Certainly, calling an ex-employee to come back signals that while you may not have been outwardly appreciative of their work and work ethic before, you are now. Let them know how much they’ve been missed as a colleague and an employee. You may be able to bring them back with the right measure of appreciation.

If advancement was the issue, make moving up the ladder part of your offer if they return. Succession planning is key to retaining top talent. If you lost great staff members because they didn’t have a clear career trajectory, work with them to plan for the future as part of their return package.

A chance for everyone to have a fresh start

The pandemic changed the way we work and do business. For many organizations, flexibility will be the road back to success. If you lost good workers, it might be the right time to reach out and try to rehire them.

The worst that could happen is they’ll be flattered and decline. In the best case, you recover a valued staff member that hits the ground running.

The post The Great Regret: Recouping Staff After the Great Resignation appeared first on Workest.

While in-person events may require extra caution, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t gather!

• Large gatherings are returning
• Outdoor events are becoming more popular than ever
• 40 percent of people plan to travel (at least domestically) this summer

When planning workplace events, finding a happy medium between staying safe and having fun is possible. Summer is a great excuse for you and your employees to take a breather from your desks.

Whether your employees work in the office, from home, or in a hybrid model, your people are probably hungry to gather and socialize in real life.

If you’re thinking of throwing a summer event for your company, here are five tips to keep in mind:

1)  Follow the law

Throwing in-person work events means you’ll need to follow your state’s legal requirements for keeping safe regarding COVID regulations. Although most states have wholly or almost entirely removed restrictions on public gatherings, your company should still do its part to help stop the spread.

Large gatherings always have a higher risk, even if they’re held outdoors. It’s a good idea to consider what safety precautions you can take to protect your employees.

The United States Department of Labor has a set of guidelines on keeping employees safe.

Vaccine requirements, physical distancing, or face coverings may be required in certain situations to keep your workplace safe.

To keep people safe, we recommend that you:

• Stay on top of the news
• Remain well informed about any guidance from your state’s health authority

There’s also the potential that these laws will change in emergency situations, such as a COVID variant or a sudden surge in cases.

2)  Adhere to corporate policy

Even if you’re not legally required to follow any COVID rules this summer, your organization’s head office may have a set of regulations to follow when it comes to COVID-related safety.

Examples might include:

• Requiring attending employees to be vaccinated
• Providing rapid tests at the entrance of the event and requiring all employees to test negative

As an organization, you are responsible for holding a safe and responsible event.

Corporate COVID restrictions are a lingering effect of the pandemic. The Center for Disease Control has resources for workplaces looking to stop the spread, including guidance on disinfecting, ventilation systems, and sharing vehicles at work.

3)  Be mindful of the location

If you have a hybrid or fully remote workplace, your employees might not live in the same city. This can present some challenges when trying to plan an event. While virtual game nights or get-togethers can be fun, your workforce might miss the experience of meeting up in person.

What can you do when your team is geographically dispersed?

Consider flying people in

With hybrid and remote work here to stay, there’s a good chance that your employees won’t be located in the same city where your office gatherings are being held. If you have the budget, consider flying employees in for the evening and allowing them to engage with their colleagues in real life.

This will show them that you care about their employee experience and are invested in creating a robust remote culture. You can give them a per-diem to spend on travel and allow them to expense a hotel that’s within your company budget.

Create alternative options for remote employees

If flying people in is not an option for your budget, consider how you will engage your remote employees who cannot attend. Examples of things you can do include:

• Allow them to expense an expensive meal while the event is going on
• If the employee can join in virtually, make sure all the technology is set up and tested ahead of time for them to join
• If other employees live in the same city as them, facilitate a local gathering
• Create virtual engagement opportunities as a regular part of your culture. There are plenty of alternative ways to keep remote employees virtually involved with the team.

Try hosting the event in a central location for most of your employees. Be sensitive to the fact that some employees may feel excluded if they cannot join in person. Go above and beyond to show them you care and do what you can to help them feel included.

If you have a large employee presence in one location, schedule some summer fun! In-person social events give employees a chance to network, foster community, and sustain engagement with their work and your company.

4)  Plan for the weather

Summer events mean summer temperatures, and if you’re planning an event post-pandemic, there’s a good chance it will be outdoors. Although no one can predict the weather, outdoor events come with slightly more unpredictability.

If you’re planning a barbecue, golf day, or beach trip, make sure you have a backup plan in case of rain or wind.

If your backup plan involves bringing the party indoors, consider any extra health and safety measures you may need to follow.

Informing employees about indoor plans (in advance) can help them decide whether or not to attend and keep everyone safe.

5)  Start planning early

Event vendors are in high demand, with a post-pandemic surge in event attendance and a backlog of weddings, parties, and other celebrations. If you’re planning to hold an indoor or outdoor gathering this summer, ensure you have your plans in place well in advance and keep an eye on your budget.

Soaring interest in getting together has made venues harder to book and sometimes more costly. Hotels, conference centers, and even restaurants could be harder to reserve right now, so make sure you book well in advance if you’re planning a summer event for your employees.

If you start planning early, you’ll also give your employees plenty of time to start mentally preparing. Remember, many people have become accustomed to minimized socializing. They may feel overwhelmed by social events. They will likely appreciate the advanced notice to help them start getting into the mindset of meeting in person.

Other ways to help your employees enjoy their summer

Beyond summer events, there are plenty of ways to help your employees (both remote and in-person) enjoy their summer! These include, but are not limited to:

• Sponsor recreational sports teams. If you have enough people in the same city to join a sports league, you can pay their fees and allow them an opportunity to gather in this way. For employees who live in a different city, you can give them a stipend to join a local league.
• Allow for summer hours. Many employees want more time off during the summer
• Conduct meetings outside. Whether in-person or virtual, you can conduct meetings outside and allow everyone to enjoy some fresh air

Whether you’re a fully remote workforce or you see each other in person, summer social events are a great way to:

• Get together
• Blow off steam
• Boost the morale of your group

Socializing in the sun brings plenty of chances for sharing stories, networking, and connecting as a team. As we enter a post-pandemic climate, it’s finally becoming a reality. Have fun!

The post How to Throw Summer Events for Your Company in a Post-Pandemic Climate appeared first on Workest.

Long COVID is a real and serious condition, and its long-term implications on people’s health are still being discovered. If you work directly with someone on your team who has long-COVID, here are some tips to help support them through this time.

Why do employees with long COVID need different treatment?

Isabel Duarte, Mindfulness Coach, explains that “Long COVID is so recent and not well fully understood. So, the difference in employee needs compared to other health conditions is [still being discovered]. The symptoms and health challenges fluctuate a lot from person to person.”

Employees suffering from long COVID may have some days where they can work from bed and other days where they need to sleep the entire day. Duarte explains that having long COVID makes it very difficult to plan ahead, which can impact both the employee and their team.

It’s common for employees who might be recovering from long COVID to experience a relapse in their health. Duarte shares from her own experience recovering from long COVID that “there’s no treatment plan.

Essential long COVID health management

The primary [treatment] recommendations are borrowed from chronic fatigue management:”

• Basically, energy management
• Activity pacing
• Full rest

“For example, if I know I need to shower tomorrow, today I’m going to avoid doing much so I can charge up my energy. Or, if I need to make a phone call, I need to be sitting or lying down [to conserve energy]. It’s life-altering, bothersome, and frustrating. And that’s just dealing with my fatigue.”

Organizations and managers play a role in supporting these employees and ensuring they can take the time off they need to heal. While time off is essential, it’s not the only factor. Employees need to know that their positions are safe and that their team has their work covered so that they can rest without the stress of falling behind or losing their jobs.

What should you do when an employee has long-term COVID?

When you have an employee who approaches you and lets you know they have long-COVID, recognize that they’re nervous and afraid of whether you will react or respond to their news.

With that in mind, talking about the situation with empathy and compassion will be paramount.

Recommended steps you can take

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) suggests the following steps when supporting one of your employees through their long COVID. These steps include:

1. Understand your organization’s policies, procedures, and support. Take the steps required to learn more about how your organization would like you and the employee to proceed. Learn about what resources are available. Direct the employee to your company’s resources like benefits information and the Employee Assistance Program (EAP). This way, you can help your employee navigate the situation.
2. Manage absences and returns to work with compassion and flexibility. While your employee may be eager to return to work, consider implementing a gradual return to work schedule. Many people with long COVID initially feel ready to return to work but then require more time off as symptoms reappear. Be kind and patient with your employees as they get to know their own boundaries and energy levels.
3. Discuss and implement helpful workplace adjustments. The kinds of adjustments your employee might need will be individualized, and you should communicate openly with the employee as their situation changes. The CIPD suggests considering adjustments such as “home or hybrid working, flexible working times, reduced or off-peak commuting time, making work tasks physically, mentally, or cognitively less demanding, a wellbeing room for downtime during the working day, and a supportive organizational culture.”
4. Have ongoing supportive and empathetic conversations. Letting your employee know what is going on, keeping them in the loop, and maintaining open lines of communication will help them feel safe and secure as they take the time off they need. It will also help you understand their situation.

Managing your own boundaries

Remember that as a manager, you are there to support your employee through their recovery. This means making sure that their work is not interfering with them getting better. Be sure to mind your own mental health, and remember you are not your employee’s mental health or medical professional.

If you notice your employee leaning on you for medical or mental health support, refer them to your company’s EAP and their medical professionals.

Most importantly, manage your own boundaries and mental health!

As a member of a small business, there will likely be fewer people on your team to help you cover your employee’s work. There will have to be some prioritization involved. Do what you can to spread the work evenly, and recognize that you may not be able to do it all.

Long COVID cases are increasing

According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, long COVID cases in the U.S. span somewhere between 7.7 million to 23 million people. This is a huge number and makes up a significant amount of the workforce, especially as it pertains to small businesses.

If you work in a small business, someone you work with may likely suffer from long-COVID. While you can’t directly impact your employee’s recovery time, you can help them rest easy knowing they are supported.

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