As life slowly begins to return to normal and employees trickle back into the office, a new question is beginning to be asked based on working from home vs. working from the office. While some people struggled with the isolation of working from home, others thrived and felt more productive. With so many question marks still hanging over the pandemic and what a new COVID normal will look like for businesses, many of us are still living in various states of anxiety and comfort levels around leaving the house.

When it comes to working from home or working from the office, it is important employers check in with each employee around their comfort levels about returning to the office, and how they can make them more comfortable. As mental health is more fragile than ever, here is how employers can look to a new COVID normal in the office and employees can decide which style of work suits them.

For employers

Connect on a more personal level

While you may be stressing about the logistics of COVID safe plans and cleaning regimes, your employees mustn’t be put on the back burner. Speak with your employees about what their expectations are when it comes to working from the office. From things like uniform right down to potential flexible working hours, have the conversation around what would suit them best, while trying to manage expectations. Creating an anonymous survey for your staff around how they feel about returning to the office as well as anything they’d like to see implemented will allow them to have a say in how the return process works.

Looking after your staff members not only benefits them but benefits you also. Everyone needs to be looked after and feel comfortable in the workplace. Working in a place where your staff member’s health and wellbeing is looked after can also have carry over effects onto managers and owners, as there is a reduced stress level overall. A healthy workplace is a happy workplace!

At the end of the day, your employees make up your business. You need to look at them as individuals rather than numbers in the workplace. To boost performance and wellbeing, cultivate open discussions about flexible working solutions and how they suit each individual’s circumstances. Everyone will have different needs when it comes to working from the office, so having these discussions with each person around what would work for them will help them feel supported and nurtured in whatever space they choose to work.

Encourage a strong sense of community

This is often a given for offices where employers foster a strong sense of community, however, with some people working from home and others in the office, this can make things feel a little bit disjointed. Educate everyone on what tool you will use to connect those working from home and those working on site. This might be Zoom, Skype, Google Meet, or another digital platform. Ask your employees if they need any assistance navigating these platforms and give them the option to upskill if they require. Joining those working offsite with those onsite will help to keep the sense of community without isolating those who aren’t in the office.

Get ready to be creative

Once upon a time, having office perks like onsite parking, game days, catered lunch days, etc, would be a strong incentive when hiring outside talent. Unfortunately, these perks won’t necessarily be as appreciated as they once were. You’ll need to take a new approach when it comes to hiring, showing your business is moving with the times and offering other work perks like flexible working conditions. As for team leaders, it’s never been more crucial to promote the company culture and communicate employee benefits and incentives.

For employees

Your mental health comes first

As always, your mental health needs to be a priority. The pandemic, for many of us, will be one of the most stressful things we’ve had to deal with. Going in and out of lockdowns and not being able to do some of the things we once enjoyed has taken a toll on us. Working from home added a new layer of stress - especially for those who were trying to home school at the same time. If your workplace is offering flexible working arrangements such as working from home full or part-time, it’s important to do what’s best for your mental health. When working from home, people have realised that while they have increased flexibility around their schedule, there is often a blurred line between their work life and personal life. If you choose to work from home in some capacity, you must set boundaries around “work time” and “personal time” so you don’t stay up working until all hours of the night!

Isolation

For those who choose to remain working from home, this can bring along feelings of isolation and disconnection from those in the office. Although you may have meetings with other employees throughout the day, you lose the spontaneous interactions with people in the kitchen or when you pass them in the halls. If you’re the type of person who needs to be around others, this may become a struggle in the future. If you feel your productivity is better at home, perhaps consider working a mix of days in the office and days at home so you still get interaction with others.

Commute times

One factor that may entice employees to work from home is a long commute time or commute on public transport. If commute time is a problem but you’d still like to go into the office, try talking to your employer to see if you can start work a little earlier or later to beat the traffic. If you are working from home, try and do something non-work related in the time your commute would usually take. This could be anything from exercise to meditating to enjoying a cup of coffee.

Disconnect after work

Once the workday is over, if you’re working from home, you won’t have the commute time to disconnect from your screen. Technology makes it easier to stay connected 24-7, but the downside is that it can make it difficult to switch off, and separate work and home life. Many of us will head straight for the couch and start scrolling on our phones. Take some time each day after work for a digital detox, which will allow your brain to have a break from the screen.

When it comes to working from home vs working from the office, there are several things to consider for both employees and employers. While there are logistical considerations, mental health is one of the most important things for both employers and employees to decide upon. Flexible working arrangements allow employees to work from home if they are still hesitant about returning to the office. Employers also need to manage expectations of those working from home and how they will collaborate going forward with those working from the office.

For those who choose to go back to the office, our Biz Corporate stockists have everything you need for a wardrobe refresh!