Everyone’s talking about returning to work after furlough

In recent weeks the UK has begun to ease some of the restrictions of the lockdown. We also know the furlough scheme, in its current form, is due to end on the 30th of June. All this means that now is the time for organisations to start thinking about what that return to work should look like.

To help managers prepare, the Adaptis team have been out in the virtual field, interviewing both furloughed and remote workers to find out how they were feeling about returning to work. We uncovered a range of emotional responses to the current circumstances, as well as the key insights managers need to ensure the return to work for their team is a smooth one.

The emotional impact of being furloughed

Whilst the current situation is unprecedented, research looking at the effects of returning to work after a prolonged absence (absences include maternity leave, prolonged sick leave, family medical leave, extended bereavement) indicates that the return to work brings with it a unique set of challenges often referred to as ‘return to work syndrome’. Return to work syndrome is a culmination of fear, worry, shame, confidence loss, and trepidation.

The majority of our interviews with furloughed employees suggest the return to work post-COVID will follow similar patterns of emotion and behaviour. However, there are also individuals who were positive about their experience and returning to work. Here we focus on the three most prevalent emotions: anxiety, loss of confidence and a feeling of being unprepared and also the positive responses that we received.

Anxiety

The overarching message from individuals when we discussed the impact furlough has had on them was that they had experienced anxiety driven by the uncertainty around when they will return to work, what that return will look like. One interviewee responded ‘It’s the not knowing that makes this so difficult. I think if I had a return date I might be able relax and even enjoy my time at home with the children, but I’m just so anxious. I feel as though I have very little control over my future’.

Loss of confidence

There was also a notable loss of confidence amongst the individuals we interviewed. More specifically, these employees had taken the organisations decision to furlough them personally and were questioning their competence in their role. One interviewee responded, ‘Although the organisation assured us that we weren’t furloughed based on our ability, it’s very hard to not take it personally. You can’t help but wonder, why me and not them?’.

Feeling unprepared

Finally, we asked what these individuals feared most about returning to work and there was an overriding fear of lost skills and needing to adapt to the new patterns of working with a mix of office based and home based.  Employers and managers need to be aware of the emotional and practical impact of being furloughed and have a plan in place to support employees through this.

Positive

There were also the individuals who spoke positively about their time on furlough. One interviewee responded ‘I thought, I am probably never going to have time off work like this again so I need to make the most of it. I transformed my garden, got back into running and read books that I have been wanting to read for years!’. Some individuals also reported excitement about returning to work. One interviewee responded ‘I can’t wait to get back now. I’m looking forward to seeing my colleagues and I really miss the routine. I feel like I am going back refreshed and full of energy’. Whilst it’s great that some individuals are feeling positive about their experience and the future, a mixture of emotions among colleagues could result in strained relations. It’s easy to see that a remote worker who has been working 12 hour days could become irritated by stories of long walks and days spent in the garden from a furloughed colleague. If these relationships aren't managed carefully they could potentially have a catastrophic effect on relations.

The impact on those employees that were left behind

It is easy to assume that the non-furloughed employees would feel like the ‘lucky’ ones. The reality is that whilst they may have the benefit of retaining their job and a full salary, they are also experiencing significantly increased workloads and being asked to deliver this work whilst also juggling the many other competing demands created by life in lock down. It seems that many non-furloughed employees are also aggrieved by the situation. Some individuals reported feeling guilty that they were able to keep their job and full salary. They are also being asked to take on the projects of their co-workers and teammates, bringing up a whole new set of challenges. Should they deliver it according to the existing plan or put their own spin on it? How will their colleague feel when they hand it back over? How will they feel having done all the work? Are but a few of the questions on the minds of those who are still working. Others were less empathetic towards their furloughed colleagues and even envious of their time off work. Many felt that the absence of work during what is already a stressful time, would be a blessing. Interestingly, those individuals who have continued to work have developed an increased level of trust despite being unable to build relationships in person. Looking through screens into each other’s homes and introducing one another to children and pets helps employees to see their colleagues in a different light. There was a sense that the non-furloughed were experiencing an almost war-time sense of camaraderie that the furloughed staff wouldn't have been part of.

Bringing the team back together

It’s clear that the introduction of this new categorisation could lead to a level of disconnection or negative feelings between colleagues. From experience, perceived injustice in the workplace can cause significant psychological distress among employees, unhelpful behaviour and increased intention to leave the organisation. In order to combat this, organizations need to clearly communicate their reasoning and intentions to employees.

So, what can managers do to prepare furloughed employees for a return to work?

-       Maintain connections. Managers should keep in touch with furloughed employees and encourage other team members to do so.

-       Communicate regularly. Checking in with our furloughed employees is important to show that they have not been ‘forgotten’. In particular, it can be useful to have conversations on their wellbeing and any concerns they have. Communicate work issues and team updates to keep them in the loop.

-       Give them the opportunity to prepare. Explain the return to work process / procedures so that they can prepare and know what to expect.

Any contact is generally welcomed by colleagues and is associated with a range of positive return to work outcomes. Contact may help to relieve employee’s anxiety about returning to work, thereby addressing one of the barriers to return to work that employees report.

How can managers support the initial return to work?

-       Make the first contact informal. This could be a virtual team meeting or coffee break. It is important that colleagues take the time to reacquaint.

-       Have a one-to-one meeting with all employees. Discuss their wellbeing, the challenges they have faced, their hopes and fears and find out what support they need and develop a plan to ensure this support is received.

-       Individualise your approach, don’t apply a one size fits all. Some employees might appreciate being eased back in and taking on lighter duties during their initial return to work. They may need a little time to transition back into working life and re-discover their ‘work identity’. If this is the case don’t ask them to pitch an idea to Board members in their first week back. However, for others, being eased back in might reinforce any doubts they were already having about their skills and abilities and further damage their self-esteem. Have a conversation and find out what each of your employees would like their return to look like.

-       Provide training to brush up on skills. As mentioned previously, furloughed employees are concerned about returning to work and discovering they have lost the skills required to do their job. Remove these fears by providing training to get them back up to speed. This could also be done whilst they are in furlough as employees are allowed to be involved in training during this time.

-       Create an inclusive culture. Manage negative feelings between employees and make time to reintegrate furloughed employees back with those who have remained at work. Some scheduled team building time might be worthwhile here.

Finally, how can managers continue this support after the initial return?

-       Learning, learning, learning. Our experience demonstrates that a culture of learning will result in a more engaged workforce. Learning will help to re engage your team by setting them on a new journey together, working towards a shared goal. Furloughed employees have reported a lack of self-esteem and confidence, what better way to build on these than through learning and development. Furloughed and remote employees could be feeling aggrieved and undervalued – offering learning opportunities is a great way to give back to your employees.

-       Sustain supportive behaviour. Continue to offer support well beyond the initial return. There can be a tendency to return to business as usual following the employees’ return. However, the returning employee may need support for some months following their return.

For business leaders the coronavirus pandemic has been a baptism in crisis management; an exercise in making timely and critical choices, staying calm, projecting confidence and providing support. But now comes the real test. Reinventing the way we work and re-engaging employees to work both productively and happily. A one size fits all approach to returning to work will not be effective, instead organizations need to focus on the individual and varying needs of employees. The priority needs to be onboarding and re-engaging employees.

To help prepare for the end of furlough here at Adaptis we have developed two virtual 90 minute workshops; ‘Reunited: Managing people post furlough’ for those in leadership and management roles who need to support teams and individuals and ‘Back in the Game: Returning to work after furlough’ for colleagues who are returning and would like some tips for effective self-management. Please contact us on [email protected] for further information.