Dawn Hardman, Director of HR,
Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce
We’re now into our 11th week of lockdown and it is true to say that it has been a time of constant change, unease, anxiety and a requirement to very quickly adapt to very different working regimes and environments. Reactions and ability to adapt have varied extensively depending on individual work styles, personal circumstances, and how the different levels of anxiety experienced in respect of the general Covid-19 crisis and what the future may bring.
What is evident though, is that individuals have reacted in many different ways and this will undoubtedly continue to be the case as we embark on our return to work over the next few weeks and months. We are hearing that some are experiencing high levels of anxiety around re-integrating into the workplace whilst others are literally counting the days when they can re-introduce some structure and personal contact (whilst adhering to social distancing of course) into their working day. What is clear therefore is that we must talk to people about how they are feeling and be mindful that individuals will require different levels of reassurance – it can’t be a “one size fits all approach”.
Risk Assessment – involve people
We know that our return to work must be health led and we also know that risk assessment is fundamental to this. The risk assessment identifies where in the workplace we are at risk and ensures that we then put the appropriate precautions and controls in place to keep people safe as far as we reasonably can. Employees have the right to know what risks they are being exposed to and what the employer is doing about those risks.
The risk assessment process should therefore involve your people – the best people to know about the risks associated with their job are those who are doing them. This can itself help to address anxiety associated with the return to work as individuals are able to see for themselves that their safety is of paramount importance.
Communication and Consultation
It is clear that communication and consultation during this time will be crucial in supporting the health and wellbeing of our employees in returning to work. ACAS offers advice regarding consulting with employees during the crisis and supporting mental health.
However, the following hints and tips may be useful:
- Understand from an early stage how people are feeling about returning to work and why – you can’t address what you don’t know.
- Conversations should take place earlier rather than later; often the anxiety felt can be resolved easily but if left can develop into something more serious.
- Early and open communication about what the organisation is doing (or thinking about doing) in terms of safety will be reassuring. Your teams will not only see from an early stage that their concerns are being addressed but they will also have been given an opportunity to have a voice to raise further concerns prior to the actual return.
- Share the findings of the risk assessment and details of the controls put in place – invite feedback and respond to it before returning to work
- The workplace may look very different – there will be many more safety signs for example which could be quite daunting for some. Photographs and videos of the new layout issued prior to return may help to reduce some feelings of anxiety
- Consider both individual discussions and organisational surveys to understand the general feeling about the return to work
- For those experiencing high levels of anxiety, a wellness action plan may help
- For those returning from furlough, remember that they will have been absent for a while and will have missed organisational updates and other news. A separate communications strategy would need to be thought about including perhaps a mini induction back into the workplace
Health and wellbeing being will undoubtedly remain a priority for the future. Longer term health and wellbeing strategies will become a necessity if we are serious about supporting workplace health and wellbeing. However, our immediate priority is managing the transition back to the new “normal” and ensuring we understand the impact this time will have on our people. Effective communication, involvement and consultation supports a positive working culture which, in turn, supports employee health and wellbeing. This has never been as important as it is now.
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