Reduce Return-to-Office Anxieties With a Lighthearted Video and 4 Actionable Tips

Creating and implementing return-to-office plans has been no easy task for many businesses. From New York to London, from Frankfurt to Singapore, the fast-spreading Delta variant has “reversed the world’s march back to the office.” Many companies have put their plans on hold and employees are understandably wary of a return to their desk. Some workers are concerned about their commute, others are perfectly happy working from home, and still others are frustrated with the delays in setting a date to return.

But for employees of companies who are returning to the office either full-time or as part of a hybrid-work model, there could be another factor that’s hampering the march back to the office. Let’s call it the “I don’t wanna go back” factor, best exemplified by a lighthearted video from the Belgium-based, Dutch-language comedy show De Ideale Wereld. Check it out below, but to set the stage, imagine if the parent-child roles at the first day of school are reversed with a young girl dropping off her foot-dragging father on his first day back at the office.

A spaghetti dinner and the news seems like a pretty good reward after a hard day’s work.

All jokes aside, companies looking for an edge in retaining their current workers and attracting top candidates should be taking concerns about a return to office seriously. Anxiety levels are high and many workers are feeling let down after a summer of promise has led to more uncertainty. 

Fortunately, as an article from Harvard Business Review laid out, there are steps companies — and managers — can take to help temper these anxieties and concerns. The full article is well-worth a read, but here are a few key takeaways:

1. Ask questions. This may seem obvious, but be sure to take the time to speak with employees about their anxieties. Anonymous surveys may be the best route to get honest, unvarnished answers. Hear them out, be patient, and alter plans to address their concerns.

2. Allow for flexibility. Instead of mandating an immediate full-time return, companies may want to let employees ease back into the office. Give them time to transition into a new routine as they figure out commutes, childcare, and other issues. And if possible, consider offering employees who don’t want to return to the office full-time the opportunity to stay fully remote or hybrid.

3. Communicate clearly. No matter what a company’s return-to-office plan may be, taking the time to communicate it clearly and lay out why those decisions were made is important. HBR recommends acknowledging workers’ concerns and then clearly articulating how the company has taken steps to address them.

4. Be compassionate. Whether you’re a company leader, team manager, or HR representative, take the time to be present and listen closely to employee concerns. Make clear any mental health benefits that the company offers and take steps to help employees with their work-life balance, especially as reports of burnout continue to rise. Recruiters can do the same when speaking with candidates — prospective employees will appreciate that the company is keeping well-being top of mind.

Return-to-office planning is difficult. Companies are trying to balance the needs of those employees who are eager to return, those who want to continue to be remote, and those who would like a combination of the two. Perhaps companies would do well to take notes on the daughter in the video above — her patience and understanding are well worth replicating.

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