As many businesses begin the slow process of returning to work and bringing employees back from remote working, there are many areas to think about and prepare for, to ensure that businesses are protected, and employees feel safe.
Supporting Staff Health and Well-being
The health and safety of the workforce should be management’s top priority.
Companies need to support their employees who are coming back to the workplace as some may be excited while others could be very anxious about the thought of mixing with other people. Those still working from home also have ongoing stress and strain. There is plenty of Government guidance provided for how to make workplaces safe to avoid the spread of Covid-19, which needs to be met before companies can begin to think about bringing people back into workspaces.
Returning to Work – Things to Think About
There are many practical areas which companies need to consider, for example, how to re-open offices that have been closed now that lockdown is easing; checking that alarms are up to date, electricity and heating are up and running and that CCTV cameras are unobscured and working effectively, employee badges still work. Plenty of Coffee in the Breakroom.
Many companies have been relying on the Government’s financial support schemes, some of which are now changing. It is important that all businesses keep in touch with their employees regarding any potential changes.
Remote Working Cybersecurity – Big Area of Concern
With many people continuing to work from home for the foreseeable future, it’s important for mortgage companies to protect their people and their business from increasing cybercrime.
For the remote worker, you have to make sure that the endpoint is fully protected so that malware and attackers can’t steal data and they can’t change it.
Supporting those people who can’t return to work
While the return to work might be easy for some employees, there will be others who have more complicated situations at home, such as those with children who are still not going back to school, those who care for family members who are vulnerable to Covid-19 and those who have their own underlying health conditions to think about. Employers will need to look at the risks and solutions for all individual circumstances when planning a phased return to work.
Businesses need to be particularly sensitive when reintroducing employees to the workplace. The post-pandemic workplace is likely to look quite different from the one they left, with different rules, structures, purpose, goals, and expectations.
Companies will need to re-onboard their remote employees when they do return to the office. It will be important that the business treats them almost as new members of staff, providing them time to settle in, and working hard to create a new sense of belonging, in the new normal.
Through the pandemic, PrivoCorp has been committed to its partners, customers, and employees. We are doing everything we can to ensure a smooth resumption of office work or the continuation of WFH options.
