Guides for employees returning to work

“For many of us, who haven’t strayed far from our homes, going back to work may feel pretty daunting. Being in an enclosed space with other people, and using shared facilities goes against the advice of the last three months, so it’s no surprise that many are nervous.

“However, there are a number of things we can do to get comfortable with returning to work and reduce the risk of catching coronavirus.” 

Top five tips for getting back to the office 

Be open and honest with your employer 

Voice your concerns and your hesitations about returning to the office with your manager. There will often be a work around. This will also give your employer a chance to tell you about the changes they have made to the office setting to ensure your wellbeing, be that less people in the office, screens between workspaces or teams on rotation.  

If you still have concerns or questions about what your rights are on returning to work it’s worth reading up on what your employer has the right to ask you to do. 

Travel out of rush hour 

Employers have needed to embrace a new era of flexibility as they have seen the majority of  their workforce set up from home. Speak to your employer about travelling to and from the office or workplace outside of busy times, being flexible with working hours. Splitting up the day so you can do some work at home, and in the office is a good compromise.  

Get on your bike 

There are a range of government-backed Cycle to Work schemes designed to make it cheaper for you to commute to work by bike so now could be the time to make the change. The schemes help you save money by spreading the cost of a bike used to travel to work over monthly tax-free instalments.

Keep a bottle of hand sanitiser on your desk 

Everytime you return to your desk, or get up to leave, sanitise your hands. Getting in the habit will not only help guard against coronavirus, but also the other germs and viruses which can easily circulate around the office or workplace. 

Schedule a virtual team event 

You might be done with zoom pub quizzes with friends on a saturday night but getting a virtual work event in the diary before you go back to work will help bring back that all important workplace culture. Be it within your team, or as a whole company, the likelihood is that you haven’t seen your colleagues for over three months. Host a breakfast, a bake off, drinks or virtual escape room.