Two years into the pandemic, people in Georgia are starting to return to their offices, filling in desks and meeting each other face to face.
However, not many of them are happy to be back, as some have been too comfortable with the work-from-home setup. It’s hard to think if they can thrive in the formal setting as they used to since the pandemic upended everything they once knew.
The COVID-19 virus that hit hard in early 2020 sent hundreds of thousands of Georgian employees to work from home. And they are the same number of people that companies are trying to bring back, with the promise of a transformed workplace to convince them that it is still the work environment of choice.
But how do you do that? What can businesses do to create attractive post-COVID working conditions?
Navigate workers through the transition by providing resources that will look after their wellbeing
Developing supportive workplace policies is the best first step to getting people back into their office desks. They have to feel secure and cared for through resources that keep them covered when uncertainty strikes again.
Businesses in Georgia are required to have reliable workers’ compensation insurance, which provides financial protection not just for employees but the business as well.
This is something you must keep an eye on, exploring coverage options that will work best with your company culture as you prepare your workers for the transition.
Establish what your workers want from their work. Moreover, find a way to compromise in meeting their demands for flexibility and safety without affecting your business growth.
Make the transition to face-to-face, phase by phase
Drastic changes could harness defiance. While it is important that your workers get back to the office for socialization, training, and development — which are crucial for utmost productivity — forcing them may only result in losing them altogether.
Make the transition paced gently, as much as your workers can take. You can divide their schedule between an office and a work-from-home setup at first.
Exposure to the current working conditions will help them gradually grasp the culture and accept it for what it is. They might even discover how much they miss the little moments of social interactions that make their work-life interesting.
Engage workers with the organization
Being one with your company’s vision is one thing that could inspire workers to come back to the office. Let them understand how their perspectives matter on the day-to-day operations and boost productivity in the workplace.
People who come together to work as a team collaborate and coordinate towards the best results. Their different ways of doing things and their brilliant ideas are combined to produce favorable outcomes for the business’s development.
That’s why the workplace must start to fill up now, as we continue to work out how the pandemic affected every aspect of our lives. It is no longer just about the virus; it is well beyond it.