Returning to work, safely

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” Benjamin Franklin.

After how the year 2020 has turned out to be, this quote will resonate strongly with most of us in the business world. It was much like a test we prepared hard for, only to receive questions that are totally out of the syllabus!  As the pandemic hit hard last year, it became quite evident how little prepared the business world was to handle the massive changes involved. One of those changes that I’ve experienced, like many of us is remote working. A vast majority of businesses in the Asia Pacific and Japan region didn’t have this option or plans to implement it till the crisis forced us to explore. This reflected in the challenges companies were facing during the first half of 2020, as indicated by a Gartner survey. Organizations were scrambling to ensure seamless remote working and in turn business continuity, redesign sales pipelines, customer touchpoints and much more. As a friend of mine pointed out, the first half of the year was much like the traffic in Bangalore in rush-hour before this pandemic - unpredictable!  

In retrospect, I feel that the year also gave us many moments to stand back in awe. 2020 showcased the absolute resolve of individuals and businesses in the face of overbearing challenges. Organizations came together, helping each other survive what has arguably been one of the most difficult passages of time in modern history. Technology firms created solutions that could facilitate remote working at a brisk pace.  As a consumer, I personally experienced great assistance offered by many companies to ensure that we have access to the right solutions at the right time.

Equipped with lessons from what transpired over the year, we need to plan for when we can bring employees back to the workplace. We must identify all areas of concern and address them. Here are a few dimensions to be considered while planning a viable, return to work model.

Technology aided cultural transformation

Going back to the office in no way means going back to the pre-COVID times. What we need to focus on is adapting to the new normal even when we are back in the office. This implies a tech-enabled cultural transformation for leaders, teams, and individual employees. I believe that we should reinvent several processes and re-examine how we operate on-premise.

Safety has to be a primary concern. To begin, it is not about one big change that addresses all the concerns. Instead, businesses will have to make several changes that will collectively mitigate the safety challenge. I would start with office entry and exit. It’s time to rethink swiping cards and pressing buttons. Touchless entry and exit are the need of the hour.

Contact tracing and reinforcing social distancing are two areas that technology can help with. Technologies, including sensors, access points, and mobile devices, can help minimize risks within the premise at all times. We have a few solutions wherein we can use Wi-Fi data from the office space. As people move around, their devices switch from one Wi-Fi AP to the next.  The data from Aruba APs can be used, while maintaining the highest levels of privacy, and analyzed using our cloud-based AI engine, assuring a safe working environment. 

Similarly, meeting and collaboration areas will have to take on a new form. This, in turn, means relooking at how we work together. Several HR practices, including hiring, induction, trainings, etc. require a lot of in-person interaction as well. All of these processes and workflows are evolving. It’s not about transitioning all processes to a remote format, that negates the difference between being in the office and working remotely. We need to find the right balance and decide where an in-person meeting is needed and where it is not. Employees will need a little guidance and support on this front, and if we step in and communicate that well, the new approach will work like a well-oiled machine. Again, using digital tools and mobile devices can help with this.

Community areas like cafeteria present a challenge. Often, in the absence of immediate solutions, the first instinct will be to shut these off. But I believe that this defeats the purpose of bringing people back to the office. Socializing is a critical part of working. Our objective should be to offer a safe environment for the same. A lot of factors come to play here, including density mapping and location tracing. With the right approach and tools, it is possible.

Employee centricity

A return to office should not be forced. Employee comfort is key, and it is essential to extend flexibility to work from home. To this extent, we first need to identify what concerns them the most. Giving a platform where employees can share their thoughts and concerns freely would help.

Communication is key. Once we understand the concerns, we need to build a clear plan to address each of them. Policies and plans should be modular and flexible. Consistently addressing employee concerns and sharing relevant information in a timely fashion will help relieve anxiety and worries to a large extent. The importance of communication in relieving anxiety and helping with overall mental health during these times, was called out by an expert in a recent article that I came across.

Mental health is another area that needs to be addressed. Being stuck at home for the better half of a year, with limited avenues for socialization and adapting to remote modes of collaboration would have been emotionally draining. I have personally experienced this, and I feel that a lack of separation between work and personal life adds to the challenge and could lead to emotional burnout. As per a study during the latter half of last year, a third of the employees in India and Singapore are particularly suffering due to this. As employees return to work, anxiety might peak, and while improved transparency and communication can help here, we need to plan beyond. We must ensure that the support infrastructure for the same is present and employees are aware of this.

Commute to and from work will be an area of concern for most employees. We need to take this into account while planning a return to work. Would it be possible to offer transportation? If it was already being offered, how should it be redesigned to fit the new need? Are there any alternatives that can be looked into? We must find answers to all these questions before we act.

The ideal way to return

A survey by Hyderabad Software Enterprises Association (HYSEA) on how IT and ITES companies in Hyderabad are planning to return their employees to work, noted that most companies are going with a phased approach. And that they do not expect a 100 percent return to work in 2021. I think this is the right way to do it.

Density in proportion to office size, age, healthcare history, and more have to be taken into account. A roster system for remote and on-premise working will be the best practice to start with. A phased reintroduction to the office, while closely monitoring the number of cases in the region and associated vaccine drive, would be the right approach. Of course, ensuring flexibility and optimizing plans will be critical and a continuous process.

One thing is certain – technology will continue to be a huge enabler, allowing businesses to facilitate the highest levels of safety possible and minimize risks. In this age of mobile devices, IoT, apps, and AI, and putting them all together, companies have come up with ingenious solutions to help with a safe return to the office. Data holds several answers. By leveraging all these and designing an approach with employees at its heart, I believe that we will be able to smoothen the return to office.

Look forward to hearing from you on how your business is planning to reopen the office.