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In the wake of the coronavirus epidemic, the workplace as we know it may never be the same again. Your company may have furloughed staff or have teams remote working, conducting meetings and training virtually. You may even have pivoted your services or operations in order to survive the very serious and sudden impact of the lockdown.
But as the lockdown is eased, will everything just go back to normal in UK workplaces? It’s unlikely. Many businesses will be considering a shift towards productive remote working, while nearly all will need to make significant health and safety adjustments to work environments and processes.
Key Issues to Consider as Staff Return from Remote Working
It may not be long before it’s safe for your business to reopen its workspaces, so now is the time for some serious planning. Make sure you add these crucial concerns to add to your list:
- Detailed risk management to safeguard the health and safety of staff who need to return to physical workspaces, to minimise the risk of infection.
- Assessment of which staff members can keep working from home, and whether it would be productive and beneficial for the business to continue with some form of remote working model.
- Communicating safeguarding and risk management measures to staff, to address their concerns and reassure them that their wellbeing is a priority for the business.
- Implementing practical measures to minimise infection risks, such as additional PPE, hand-washing facilities and policies for social distancing.
- Travel plans for employees coming to/from work and for meetings and site visits outside of the workplace.
- A re-induction process for returning staff, including sensitive and open discussions on how staff are being supported and risks managed.
- Compliance with relevant rules and guidelines for your industry, as well as employment law.
Planning a Reopening Strategy – How AvA-V can help
For many businesses, reopening won’t simply mean a return to normality. Some will need to rip up their existing growth strategies and focus on rebuilding, or perhaps even implementing a survival strategy to get them through the next few months.
Developing plans to make the business more resilient, so it can adapt and thrive even when facing a looming recession, is absolutely crucial.
Whether making big decisions for the future, or a reopening strategy for the next few months, you don’t have to go it alone. The business solution designer experts at AvA-V are here to help.
Together, we can develop or rethink your short and long-term goals, putting together a clear, purposeful roadmap based on your vision. This is achieved through 1-2-1 strategy development days, department heads strategy days or a combination of methods. We’ll tailor our advice around your needs.
During the coronavirus pandemic, our strategy, training and recruitment experts have been on-hand to help businesses remotely. Sessions can be scheduled using virtual meeting technology, so you can make progress even while social distancing rules are in place.