Are you treating the transition back to the office with the same care as the Pandemic?

There are so many variables to consider when thinking of the transition back to the workplace post-COVID. Organizations have the rare opportunity to reset their workplace culture from what it was before 2020. Those of us in the DEI space are well aware that many companies got a free pass from having to address issues of exclusion and inequity in their workplaces during the lockdown. As more and more businesses resume face-to-face operations, many of those issues surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion pre-COVID can be expected to rear their heads once again. As a result, companies must now work to address exclusion and biases with as much care and urgency as the pandemic!

Below is a compilation of three (3) quick tips to consider when thinking of making the transition to a post-COVID workplace as smooth and inclusive as possible. This list is by no means exhaustive, as there are countless numbers of situations and scenarios that you may need to prepare for, but we thought we would share some key areas to be considered.

1. Consider your leaders.

Before a ship sets sail, the captain must first be on board. Likewise, as you evaluate the quality of inclusion within your company, your team leaders and managers should be the first ones to be trained and adequately equipped to handle the many and varying needs of employees. Some of the inclusivity issues that are likely to arise may range from demographic-related concerns that are racial and gender-based, for example, to less obvious ones such as whether employees get to have a say in various decision-making processes, including those on policies and procedures that affect them. Are managers aware of the different learning styles, processing styles, and interpersonal skills of their staff? It is important that before we return to the workplace, leaders know exactly how their staff is likely to react, and be equipped with the right tools and authority to make decisions that will create less resistance and dissatisfaction within their teams.

2. Beware the “eager to return” crowd.

The COVID19 lockdown had an immense impact on the mental well-being of many individuals. As a result, we have seen an increasing number of persons develop a greater understanding and appreciation for maintaining a healthy work-life balance. While some may find work from home to be the answer to optimizing their work-life balance, for others, this comes in the form of working from the office. Whether it be an annoying roommate, disruptive neighbors, inadequate equipment and/or resources at home, or even their personality type, the office may serve as a haven for productive work to take place. Be it for these or other reasons, many employees are looking forward to resuming work in the office. Companies must therefore ensure that they create spaces that are safe and welcoming as opposed to being another source of torment that their employees dread.

Who are the extroverts and social butterflies on your team? These individuals have been particularly eager to return to working in the office and will likely be at the front of the line when companies issue their return to office orders—for those that haven’t already done so. On the other hand, there are those among us who are on the introverted end of the personality spectrum and might be dreading a return to the office. Companies will need to brainstorm and create structures to help these employees reintegrate into the office space, ensuring that all the necessary health regulations are upheld and that effective employee engagement programs are in place.

3. Avoid early judgment and try to reduce uncertainty.

People who need flexibility, and who may prefer not to be in the office can be subjected to scrutiny. This is especially so for knowledge workers who can do their jobs remotely and, in many cases, might have been working remotely throughout the pandemic. One of the few things that were made undeniably clear over the past 2 ½ years, is the practicality, convenience, and benefits that come with working remotely. Therefore, companies are strongly encouraged to consider these preferences without judgment. Reserved judgment should also be extended to parents and caretakers whose responsibilities outside of work may require them to leave work on time (especially in spaces with a custom of working uncompensated overtime), without being written off as someone who lacks commitment. Similarly, caregivers may need to take a break to attend to caretaking duties, but still, honor their contracted work hours and established KPIs. While it won’t be practical for every company to make concessions for all of these scenarios, each company is certainly capable of exercising some degree of flexibility. Organizations that do this in a manner that meets the specific needs of their employees, will go a far way in reducing uncertainty and fears of termination or reprimand, translating to an increase in productivity.

These are uncertain times and so now more than ever, it is important to be communicative in your message to employees and reassure them that different needs will have different accommodations. A workforce that feels appreciated and catered to, will go a farther way in driving productivity than one that is stifled beneath archaic regulations that merely provide a false sense of productivity.

Reflection

2020 was THE WORST, can we all agree? So, why are employees of color reluctant to return to the office—2 years later? The U.S. declaration of a public health emergency on February 3, 2020, marked a period of widespread panic, fear, and confusion for many. However, this period also catalyzed the largest transition to remote working in human history, in a wave that spread right across the world. Coincidentally, this happened at a time when the eyes of the world were fixed on the U.S., not for its Covid-19 response, but as the country grappled with issues of heightened racial tension. With more people being at home and having the time to tune in to these occurrences, there were renewed debates and conversations around systemic racism, prejudices, and microaggression within the workplace and other institutions. As fate would have it, the country’s racial issues, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the practice of remote work would all come to an unlikely intersection.

A New Normal

As the world quickly and reluctantly adapted to a new normal in the face of the pandemic, many businesses closed their doors, meanwhile, remote working allowed others to continue their operations. Knowledge workers who previously worked in the office now had the opportunity to create their own bubble as more people started working from home. Zoom and other virtual platforms diversified the spectrum of what was deemed OK in the workplace, from working in our shorts and bed slippers to every day being a “take your pet to work day!”.

Surprisingly (or not so surprisingly), this was not the only form of diversification that work from home would facilitate. Amid the country’s racial tensions, people of color who work(ed) from home seemingly found reprieve from the daily bouts of microaggression and prejudices faced by many in their places of work. Despite the many voices amplifying the harm of inequity in the workplace, many were surprised when a 2021 Slack Future Forum publication revealed that only 3% of Black knowledge workers wanted to return to the office, while the remaining 97% preferred a hybrid or fully remote arrangement; this was compared to only 79% of White knowledge workers.

Is WFH a Band-Aid or Super Glue?

Black knowledge workers are clinging to remote work at a higher rate than their White colleagues, and while there are numerous benefits to having a remote workforce, it is also true that each company must decide for itself whether to have employees return to the office, or continue their remote or hybrid working arrangements.

In this decision-making process, companies must be mindful to not simply use remote working as an escape from addressing racial disparity within the workforce. Avoidance is by no means a remedy for the lower sense of workplace belonging and higher stress levels with which employees of color are faced. Instead, business leaders must seek to leverage their resources to fix inequity and exclusion issues in the workplace. To do so is to promote a healthier working environment for everyone and reduce the marginalization of great employees, both inside and outside the physical office.

The Employee Experience

If the Great Resignation has taught us anything, it is that employees have a natural yearning to climb the ladder of Maslow’s Hierarchy, not only in their personal environs but also within their places of work. Employees, regardless of their race, gender, class, or caste, deserve to have and feel a sense of safety, belonging, respect, and professional dignity in the places where they spend approximately 50% of their waking hours. This stands true whether employees are working in the office, or if they work in a remote or hybrid setting. However, the fact that people of color are disproportionately impacted by issues of inequity in the workplace, simply cannot be ignored. Until the needs of marginalized employees are adequately catered to, it is only natural that they will be more inclined to work from home if it means not having to deal with discrimination and microaggression in the office.

Getting Back to the Office

A strong sense of community will not simply appear out of thin air just because we return to the office. It is imperative that businesses consider everything that was wrong in their workplace culture before the pandemic. Returning to the office has different implications for different groups of people. As companies implement return-to-office policies, business leaders must familiarize themselves with the challenges of their marginalized employees and be prepared to address these challenges as they develop.

While the decision to return to the office is subjective, one absolutely non-negotiable thing is the need for a safe, diverse, and inclusive workplace. The desire to work from home should be driven solely by individual preference and conveniences, and not something that employees have to resort to as an escape from inequity, discrimination, and microaggression in the office.

3 Considerations for Transitioning to a Post-COVID Workplace