Opposing social forces in the post-pandemic enterprise

Many companies are developing plans for a post-pandemic “return to work”. I’ve noticed that these plans tend to assume that the office environment will return to the pre-pandemic state. That’s understandable; it’s natural to desire a return to normality after the pandemic. Unfortunately, I don’t think it will be business as usual in the office, and companies should be planning for a new normal instead.

One factor that will impact the office environment will be employees’ attitudes to working in an office; they are going to be challenged with conflicting emotions.

An enthusiastic return...

Post-pandemic, employees will be looking forward to finally getting out of their homes and returning to the familiarity of the office, the camaraderie of colleagues, and the socially rewarding experience of meeting with people face to face. After being confined to home and working remotely, the desire to connect with others will be very strong, bordering on post-war euphoria.

Countered by post-traumatic stress...

At the same time, office workers will have varying degrees of post-traumatic stress about sharing space with people again after having spent months in isolation. The enjoyment of being reunited with friends and co-workers will be tainted by fear of crowds, the unsettling close proximity of co-workers, and the risk of viral transmission from office work surfaces. The office could prove to be a traumatic environment to return to. 

The new reality of a post-pandemic world will give office workers pause for thought. They might start wondering just how safe an environment the office is, and feel anxious about being there.

Deborah Tannen, a professor in the Department of Linguistics at Georgetown University explained a coming attitude shift about meeting in face-to-face:

The comfort of being in the presence of others might be replaced by a greater comfort with absence, especially with those we don’t know intimately. Instead of asking, “Is there a reason to do this online?” we’ll be asking, “Is there any good reason to do this in person?”—and might need to be reminded and convinced that there is.

How should businesses prepare for the return of workers to the office?

Returning to the office should be carefully planned

It will be critical to establish clear criteria for returning. What are the gating factors that together indicate that businesses can re-open their offices? This is likely going to involve assessing federal, state, and city declarations about the safety of gathering in groups, and then making a carefully considered decision despite this guidance. Companies must act responsibly to protect the health of their workers. Returning them too soon could lead to a second spike in infections, employee sickness, and liability for the business. Reopening offices just because that’s where employees have typically worked isn’t sufficient justification, especially if those workers have developed effective remote working skills during their isolation. They might be better off staying home.

Work from home must be an equal option

Companies should give employees the choice of when or if to return to the office. It must be an employee’s personal decision, and not mandated. This is an area where discrimination must be carefully considered. It might not be safe for workers, due to their age, health or other concerns, to be among the group of first returning employees. In established enterprises, older employees may be in leadership positions. It will be critical not to create an “us versus them” perception where junior and younger employees are expected to return to the office, but older employees in executive roles stay home in greater safety. 

In addition to risk-based decisions, employees might find that they prefer working from home and might not want to return to their offices, especially if they’ve experienced improvements in productivity and quality of life. This could be especially true for those with long commutes where the time and energy they spent commuting has been repurposed productively during isolation at home. Workers might be reluctant to trade this for the comparatively lesser benefits of being in the office. 

Offices must be safe environments

Companies must create and maintain a virus-safe environment, with hand sanitizers in every area, and increased attention to cleaning of shared spaces, break rooms, entrance areas, door handles, and bathrooms. Sanitization must be visible and obvious to workers, with people regularly cleaning the office and resupplying sanitization stations. These precautions will need to remain until the virus is contained through herd immunity or vaccination, and perhaps they will become a new standard for office hygiene.

Offices might require a redesign

Office spaces might need to be redesigned. As office space costs have increased, businesses have responded by increasing the density of employees in the office, often justified with the spin that "density increases collaboration". Dense populations of people are the perfect environment for virus transmission. Office workers will not be willing to accept this risk and consequently facilities departments will need to rethink how workers occupy and use the office space. Reducing density will be challenging, but with an increase in the number of employees working from home, there could be more layout flexibility. Pre-pandemic, some businesses closed off conference rooms because of the impossibility of maintaining distancing rules. This could continue post-pandemic, with all confined meeting spaces repurposed.

Sickness and infection become a policy issue

With the use of masks becoming a new social norm, employees might expect sick co-workers to self-quarantine or wear masks in the office. Sick employees will generate fear, resentment, and confrontation. The selfless “hero” who struggles to the office to work despite being sick will not be tolerated. Businesses need to anticipate this and establish more stringent policies for sick employees. With effective work from home programs developed during the pandemic there will be less need for employees to be in the office regardless of their health. Employees should not be subject to HR policies where sick time and vacation time are a shared resource, creating an incentive to work when sick.

In conclusion...

The post-pandemic enterprise will be changed, and businesses must anticipate how employees’ attitudes about working in offices will also change. Now is the time to start planning for the return to the office with the highest priority being the health and emotional wellbeing of employees. Opening the doors and turning the lights back on isn't the answer, as tempting as it might be.