5 ways to manage returning employees
As lockdown eases and businesses of all types can return to work, employees need to be treated fairly and with respect.
Some employees may be anxious about returning to work at all; others may want to renegotiate working conditions so that they can work more often from home. Employees who have been shielding since March will be able to go back to work from August, and will need significant support in order to do so.
So, what must you do to manage these issues to make sure that your employees are taken care of and their concerns heard, whilst also making sure that your business can continue to run smoothly?
1. Understand individual positions
It’s important that employers listen to the individual concerns of employees. In smaller businesses, line managers, HR managers and even Managing Directors can have individual conversations with employees to find out how they feel about returning. In larger businesses, every employee should have the opportunity to express any concerns they have about returning to work.
2. Vary work patterns for furloughed workers
The changes in the government’s furlough scheme come into force in July. From then, employers can bring furloughed workers back into the business for any amount of time, whilst still claiming furlough payments for time not worked. Just as employees needed to agree to be put on furlough in the first place, they will need to agree the way in which they come back, particularly if they have anxieties as carers for vulnerable people.
3. Consider parental and carer responsibilities
With schools unlikely to return to full opening until September, those caring for children may need to be more flexible in their working patterns. Employers need to think about the circumstances of these employees and be as flexible as possible with encouraging return to work, varying contracts if necessary to protect the jobs of employees who need to continue flexible or home working in order to manage childcare.
4. Communicate clearly and often
One of the most common complaints from employees at times of change is the lack of communication. It’s extremely important to keep employees in the loop about your progress both in terms of returning to work and in terms of risk assessments and health and safety. Encouraging employees to ask questions and make suggestions about how they can work safely and productively will engage them in the process of returning to work and give them the information they need to make the right decisions about their own return.
5. Embrace new ways of working
Many employers have discovered that businesses can operate even when the office is shut. You may have discovered ways to streamline your processes or to save money on your office rental. The fact that everyone is now used to holding virtual meetings means that daily face-to-face working may not be as vital as before, and you now have the opportunity to improve productivity. Whilst for some businesses this may mean an eventual reduction in the workforce, for many employers, this presents an opportunity to save money, do things better and offer more flexibility to employees.
Finally, remember that the negotiations and contract variations you make may only be temporary, so you’ll need to set review dates with each individual and keep track of how the new arrangements are working.
For help and advice with helping your employees return to work, just contact us today.
How are you managing employee holidays?
It might seem like a ridiculous question, given that we can’t travel or stay in other houses, but a holiday’s about more than ‘getting away’, and you should be aware of how you might manage employee holiday requests now and in the future.
This period has been hard work for everyone. Whatever you’ve been doing: on furlough, working normally, working longer hours, shielding, caring for a vulnerable family member or facing the possibility of making staff redundant – it’s been a trying and worrying few months.
And, although things are slowly starting to return to business, you and your employees will still need a break. Whilst there’s a limit to where you can travel, you can get to see friends and family, you can celebrate special events and you can take some time to relax and switch off.
Managing excess holiday
Employees can now carry leave over for the next two leave years, to take into account the fact that businesses are having to work differently to manage the impact of COVID-19.
Guidance on the government’s website states:
“Currently, almost all workers are entitled to 28 days’ holiday including bank holidays each year. However, most of this entitlement cannot be carried between leave years, meaning workers lose their holiday if they do not take it.
There is also an obligation on employers to ensure their workers take their statutory entitlement in any one year – failure to do so could result in a financial penalty.
The regulations will allow up to 4 weeks of unused leave to be carried into the next 2 leave years, easing the requirements on business to ensure that workers take statutory amount of annual leave in any one year.”
So employers will need to manage the carrying-over of leave whilst also making sure that employees take leave in a way that is sustainable for the business, and promotes their wellbeing.
How to talk to your people about holiday
Holiday is one of the most precious benefits that a company offers. Many companies offer more than the standard holiday entitlement, including things like a holiday on an employee’s birthday and holiday rewards as part of recognition schemes. There are also holiday buy-back schemes and all these variations will need to be taken into account.
If you have employees that want to take holiday at this point, accommodate them if you possibly can. It could be that they have had a stressful time and need to recuperate – or that they have had COVID-19 and want to make the most of recovery. Or it could be that the holiday time was booked in advance and they still want to take it, even if holiday plans have been cancelled.
Whilst you need to make sure that you have the staff and skills to help your business return to work or meet new demand, you have to balance this with the impact on your employees’ wellbeing from not taking a holiday until much later in the year.
What to think about if you’re an employee returning to work
Now that more businesses are planning to re-open, employees are starting to think about heading back to work.
For some, it’s an easy decision – as long as the workplace is safe and well-managed, it might be a relief to get out of the house and back into a routine.
For others, however, this is a stressful time, and it’s important that as well as looking after your finances and organising your household around a return to work, you also look after your own wellbeing. So ask yourself these simple questions:
How will I get to work?
If you normally travel to work by public transport, are you currently happy to travel that way? Have you checked that the routes you use are running as usual? Might you have to leave home earlier or later than usual in order to get to work safely? Are there any alternatives available to you, such as walking part or all of the way, cycling, or driving? If you can’t get to work any other way and you’re worried about using public transport, can you talk to your employer?
Can I still work from home?
At the moment, the Government’s advice is to work from home if you can. So if your job function can be carried out fully at home, you should remain working from home unless your employer specifically asks you to return. In that circumstance, you are entitled to ask to remain working from home, particularly if you are concerned about the health implications of going back.
How will I manage caring responsibilities?
Lots of employees are also caring for children or vulnerable people during this period. At the moment, only a select number of children have returned to school, and vulnerable people are still being asked to be cautious about going out. So you may be worried about a conflict between what your employer expects you to do and what you are able or comfortable to do. If this is the case, speak to your employer as soon as possible. Explain your situation and see if you can work together to come to a solution that works for everyone.
What if I’m just scared about returning to work?
This period of virus crisis and lockdown has had a significant effect on the way people view their personal safety. Some are not yet ready to spend lots of time with other people, or venture too far away from home. Again, if you are worried about getting back to work and the effect it might have on you and your family, talk to your employer to see if anything can be arranged to help.
Employers are required to help you return to work confidently and safely, and most are making incredible efforts to change working environments and processes so that everyone feels safe as and when they return to work. It’s always best to talk to your employer in advance so that they are aware of any potential issues, and to keep a note of when you spoke and what was said so that you have clear information to refer to should you need to.
Why not consider a phased return to work? This will help you to make the transition from being at home – whether furloughed or working remotely – back into your usual environment. We are working with a number of clients now who are introducing phased returns to support their employees and this is a great way to manage a safe return to work.
CEOs and MDs need to be kinder to themselves
There’s been no shortage of articles online and in the press about ‘how to be a better leader’ during the COVID-19 crisis. Of course, leaders are having to do things differently and think about their business and their employees in a different way, but being inundated with articles and thought pieces telling you just how badly you could be doing doesn’t help.
In fact, our experience is that leaders are working harder than ever, whilst also making sure that their employees are taking time out, flexing work around caring responsibilities and looking after their mental and physical wellbeing.
Anecdotally, we’re hearing that bosses are working longer hours from home and keeping devices on so that they can respond to business and employee concerns at any time. They’re trying to keep track of the support on offer and preparing for a return to work, all whilst keeping the business operational in difficult times.
If you’re a leader whose business is still operating during this period, you’re likely to be busier than ever. You may have to re-structure your business completely – something that you usually have the luxury of doing over a significant period of time. Or you may have to change your operations to account for the restrictions in opening or social distancing. You may have re-focused your business into designing, developing or producing equipment and supplies to help support the health service, or you might have re-directed your drivers to help charities with food deliveries.
You may just be one of the fortunate businesses who have seen demand for certain products rise and are trying to meet that demand safely and with a sympathetic customer service experience.
Whatever the circumstances, it seems that leaders aren’t practicing what they preach to their staff. This means that when you do return to work you could be tired, mentally low and not really able to motivate and support your staff in what will be a tricky transition.
So, if you’ve been working 12-14 hour days for the past three months, from an office that you’ve put together at home, being in contact 24/7 and not taking any extra time off, perhaps now is the time to re-assess the way you work.
Take some days off. Put some boundaries around your working hours. Shut your office down in the evening and either put your laptop away or shut the door to the room it’s in so that you’re not tempted to check emails. Set specific times when you’ll be available for calls and stick to them.
Your people will respect that you’re taking some time for yourself – and taking the advice that you’re giving to them. And you’ll be in a better physical and mental place to take on the next challenge.