Back to School? No, No, No, back to the Office!
The last 18 months have seen some remarkable changes. For many of the UK workforce, the home has become the new office and working from home is the new normal. Far from becoming recluse, new habits have developed, from virtual team socials to adopting 4 legged friends who are all too ready to join us in our virtual meetings. However, working from home might not suit everyone. It’s time to get the gang back together in order to drive up productivity and really kick on after lockdown. So, how can you get the team back together physically rather than only see them on your laptop screen? These tips may help you bring them back to the office!
Talk to your Team
Not to sound too obvious, but the first thing to do is talk to the team. Nobody is alike. You may be itching to get back to the office, whereas others may be nervous; others may not even see the need to return to the office. If you speak to your team you can put across the business concerns, not just productivity concerns, which may or may not be founded.
Your team are a lot more likely to rush back to the office if they feel it allows them to contribute more, rather than reassuring you when you have trust issues.
Encourage Flexible Working
Not one for everyone, but flexible working can be perfect. Choose the hours that fit around both you and your staff’s need and reap the benefits. This also allows your team to work when their productivity and focus is highest.
Consider Place Childcare
Tricky one here. Childcare vouchers have gone, but you can still make provision for dependants, both with 2 legs and 4. Local providers can provide discounts or even an option in the office if you have room. Just control them, the more legs they have, the more unruly they can become.
Offer Subsidised Travel
Your team will have become accustomed to no travel cost. For many, returning to the office may now be a major hindrance, they might not want to share this though. Costs have risen during lockdown whilst salaries largely have not. Consider free workplace parking, salary sacrifice cars, cycle to work scheme, or travel season tickets.
With our salary sacrifice car scheme, we even give you workplace charge points for free! Not only can colleagues park for free, but they can also charge for free! 200 miles in one afternoon, lovely!
Reassure Them
At Fleet Evolution, we’re quite relaxed about COVID now. However, 2 of the team have not returned to the office since the first lockdown announcement. Never assume others feel as you do. You should have good policies, respect everyone’s views, and educate on the steps you are taking to be COVID safe. 80% of your team may not see the need, but 100% will respect you for the gesture.
We are transitioning to everyone’s favourite, the new normal. For most, working from home is great for the day to day; For brainstorming, development, and that team spirit, you need a bit of office time. We hope these simple tips will help ease the transition, boost productivity, and increase job satisfaction!
We want to know what you think. Do you prefer working at home, or at the office?
Tags : back to the office, work from home