How Can You Make The “Return To Office” Employee-friendly and Inclusive

Running from the bed-to-properly deck up zoom meeting within minutes is a part of our work life; our new normal. 

In early 2020, the COVID-19 induced pandemic made organisations switch to the Work from home (WFH) model. While there were many apprehensions around WFH most of us had to accept ‘this normal’ quite gracefully.

With close to 70 per cent of India’s population having taken the first dose and 57.5 per cent having taken the second one and further reducing COVID-19 cases globally, it seems like the pre-pandemic normal is just around the corner. Organisations are charged up to welcome their employees back to the office.

This time employers will have to put in an extra effort to make allure the employees back to the office. Why are we saying this? – A survey suggested that 8 in 10 employees do not want to go to the office. In fact, 64 per cent of the employees feel less stressed and more productive while working from home. This data vividly suggests the preference of the employees. The bitter reality is not all organisations can switch to WFH permanently – the FMCG industry and manufacturing sector are such examples. 

Employers would have to strategize well before calling their teams back to the office. To help employers as well as employees here is a toolkit to create an inclusive, amicable and highly motivating work environment:

1. Flexibility will be the key to retaining talent

50 per cent of the employees would prefer a hybrid model of working in the post-pandemic world. Only 16 per cent of workers voted for going back to the office completely. These data suggest aversion from returning to the office. 

Many employees are choosing to quit then relocate or make adjustments to join offices.  A severe talent crunch was witnessed in the United States throughout 2021. 

This situation impacted women differently. Women employees are indispensable for the growth of any organisation. Yet the attrition rate amongst women is more as compared to men. A survey conducted by Avtar shows that about 77 per cent of women quit jobs due to a lack of flexible working opportunities. 

These signs must be dealt with utmost care. Every employer wants their team to perform at optimum levels. Now is the time for them to create a flexible working environment for their workforce to deliver better output. 

Being flexible will be the best option to retain good talent. For this one can either resort to a hybrid model of working, calling employees in batches, or in a few cases allow WFH for an extended time. 

2. Fill in the Empathy Gap

An empathy gap also goes by the name empathy bias. It primarily means that one is unable to recognise, comprehend and share others’ thoughts and feelings.  

Such empathy bias is prevalent not just amongst employers and their employees but even between the team members. This is detrimental to the overall work and mental health of all involved. 

Empathy Gap is a must-have yet is very rare – and no one wants to even think about it since people are too preoccupied with their own lives to care about other people’s opinions, emotions, or thoughts. It’s a form of soft skill that has to be taught and developed alongside other management skills. Corporates should hold special workshops as part of their behavioural training programmes to teach employees how to reduce empathy gaps and sympathise with others. We need to learn to relate to others rather than thinking in all situations from our perspectives – This quality is essential for the overall personal growth as well as the growth of the team – Gajendra Mewara, Company Secretary, Phoenix Mills Limited

Employers must undertake various activities to reduce this empathy gap. Start with emphasizing the below given basic yet vital work values to bridge the empathy gap: 

• Listen to understand and not react;
• Encourage sharing problems openly and without the fear of being judged; 
• Recognise professional milestones. 

Employee benefits as a part of the compensation is a very acceptable way to showcase empathy. A few examples of such benefits can be a daycare for children, paid paternity leaves, period leaves, paid vacation, etc. 

Encouraging the formation of employee resource groups is also a way to reduce the empathy gap in the organisation. 

3. Boundaries at the workplace

Workplace boundaries have a direct correlation with our physical and mental health. We can now live a 24 * 7 work-life all thanks to technological innovations. Doing this might help you bag the title of ‘employee of the year’ but will have a grave effect on your personal and professional life. 

Two broad bifurcations of workplace boundaries include (1) Professional boundaries – a boundary you set with your supervisor and colleagues, and (2) Personal boundaries – a boundary you set for yourself to attain a healthy work-life balance. 

Other types are time boundaries, workload boundaries, emotional boundaries, communication boundaries, etc. We need to call out anyone who tries to breach these boundaries. 

Work life balance – a concept that gained momentum over the years and yet there is so much to be done. Boundaries enable us to have a work life balance and ergo should be followed at any given point in time. For me, the most non-negotiable workplace practice/ethic that I look out for is the freedom of flexibility. This enables me to be ‘available’ for my people both at a personal and a professional level whenever need be! It is so important to learn the art of saying No because it is only you who can prioritise yourself! – Sanjana Doshi, Business Partner, Colgate Palmolive (India) Limited

Employers must enable the team in setting one or more of these boundaries. A brief of activities you can undertake to set boundaries are: 

• List down your boundaries, especially the ones which are entirely non-negotiable; 
• Discuss it with your supervisors and colleagues; 
• Set up your work life around these boundaries. 

The unprecedented and unpredictable wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has wiped off the plans of opening up offices several times. If we face the reality it is a myth to believe that we can ever go back to pre-pandemic work life. 

Every organisation operates independently. So, each will have its own set of challenges and methods to address the issues related to “coming back to the office”.  

The lasting benefit of this toolkit extends equally to the employers as well as employees.  Above all do not forget to be compassionate – this COVID-19 pandemic has been brutal on all of us so if nothing everyone must exercise compassion towards oneself and others.

Ungender Insights is the product of our learning from advisory work at Ungender. In our initiative to build inclusive workplaces for all individuals, we continue to educate and advise leaders on the same. Write to us at contact@ungender.in to know more about our advisory services.