The Great Employee Recall: What Lies Ahead?

The prolonged confusion and uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic have made organizations precarious in their response approaches. While several businesses have succeeded in innovating and adapting to the changing circumstances, things are far from over.?

With the pandemic subsiding in most parts of the world and the number of vaccinated individuals steadily rising every day, the era of “The Great Employee Recall” is upon us.?

What is “The Great Employee Recall”?

The pandemic forced the majority of the companies to adopt WFH (Work From Home) and flexible working policies. But now that stay-at-home orders have mostly been revoked in many states, workplaces are slowly but steadily opening up. This has encouraged organizations to consider recalling their employees to resume working from the office. However, leaders of these organizations are cautiously optimistic.?

So, what is the problem?

After working from home for more than a year, not a lot of employees are keen on returning to the office.?

According to a?Leger survey?involving 2,600 workers across the USA and Canada, only 20% of the respondents expressed their interest to work from the office every day. 19% of them would never want to return to the office, and the rest expect a hybrid model involving a combination of work from the office, remote working and WFH.?

Why Do Employees Prefer WFH?

So why do employees want to continue working from home? Well, apart from the pandemic, many other reasons are making WFH or a flexible working model preferable for employees.

• It helps them to maintain a better work-life balance.
• The WFH option has given rise to WFA or Work from Anywhere, helping employees bag job offers from around the world without relocating.
• A Flexjobs study reveals that?employees can save up to $4,000 annually?by working from home.?
• According to?US Census Bureau, the average one-way commute time in the United States was 27.6 minutes in 2019, a year before the pandemic hit the world, followed by lockdowns. That's just a little less than an hour of commute every day.?

The Flip Side of Work From Home

Although there certainly has been a positive impact of WFH, there’s a flip side to it too.?

• Boundaries between work life and personal life have blurred.?
• Lack of workplace engagement.
• According to a?report by Microsoft, meeting time has more than doubled and is rising for many employees. Thus, many now give more time to their work than they ever were.?
• According to a survey of 61000 Microsoft Employees published in the?Nature Human Behaviour, remote working leads to decreased innovation, productivity, and creativity.?

The Grass is Greener - But on Which Side?

Many businesses are puzzled whether they should continue remote working, adopt hybrid work models, or recall the employees completely or partially. While the decision would depend on many factors beyond the scope of this article, I'd like to prepare businesses with the challenges they're set to face when and if they decide to recall employees.?

Challenges of Recalling the Employees

While employees preferring WFH and hybrid working is probably the biggest challenge, other issues deserve your attention if your organization is planning to recall the employees. Take a look-

1. Admitting People to the Office and Limiting Exposure

While restrictions have been eased up, the COVID-19 pandemic lingers on. Organizations would be responsible for managing the risk of admitting employees to work from the office. Lack of safety measures at the workplace could discourage the employees further, or worse, even result in an outbreak.

2.?????????????Employees Readjusting to the Work-from-Office Setting

According to a report by?PwC, the amount of time spent working from home and the updated office regulations and layout will require some time for the employees to get adjusted to. There can also be remote employees setting foot in the workplace for the first time. They might need even more time to adapt to the work-from-office arrangement.?

3.?????????????Lack of Engagement

The pandemic was a stressful period for everyone. Apart from physical health, the fear,?uncertainty, and the stresses of managing work life and home life also impacted our mental health. A direct impact of this COVID fatigue could be disengaged employees. After being recalled, it is possible for the employees to feel disengaged with the office and their work.?

How to Create an Employee Recall Strategy?

The employment laws suggest that employers have the right to manage the workplace as per their requirements. So, while the organizations are free to recall their employees to the office if they want, it might result in friction that could be detrimental for the company. A thoughtful employee recall strategy can be a way out.?

Here are some tips for employers to plan the recall-

• Make Employee Safety a Priority

Ensuring that the workplace is safe should be the top priority for every organization to eliminate the COVID fear among the employees. A comprehensive check-in process, not recalling the entire workforce at once, social distancing, and self-reporting exposure and symptoms should be part of every recall strategy. There are now several digital solutions that can help streamline this process.?

• Rebuild Employee Engagement

Professional employee development programs can be very helpful for engaging the employees. Arranging social events such as birthday celebrations, happy hours, and coffee breaks can also make the employees feel more connected to their workplace. One-on-one sessions with the employees where they can freely share their opinions and points of view can also help.?

• Maintain Consistent Communication

It is also essential for the management to regularly communicate with the employees, especially on the measures taken for their safety, health insurance, paid leave, and WFH policies. Regularly share the latest news updates and changes to work policies to make the employees feel that we are all in this together.?

• Implementing a Vaccination Policy

The legal aspects of mandating vaccination are still unclear in Canada, just like most parts of the world. But seeing the associated risks, it is best to allow unvaccinated employees to continue working from home. However, if they are recalled to work from the office, adequate measures like masking, social distancing, and regular testing should be taken.?

• Do Not Ignore Mental Health

Keeping the workplace culture vibrant can be very helpful in keeping the spirits high. Organizations can also consider offering mental health benefits, wellness days, and flexible schedules to help the employees cope with all the changes amid the pandemic. If only some of the employees are being recalled, look for virtual ways to better connect with the remaining remote employees.?

Building a Happy Workplace is Going to Be Key

Building a happier workplace with inspired employees, innovative processes, and delighted customers is the key to navigating through the "Great Employee Recall" challenge and continuing to grow. If managed correctly, the recall can be an opportunity for business leaders to build trust, boost engagement, and improve productivity.?

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