Balancing Work-From-Home and In-Office Options for Your Business
Business owners are struggling as they weigh options for mandating employees return to the office. We have all heard statistics that employees are happier working from home and view commuting as a waste of time. But on the flip side, we also know that gathering your team together can enhance the culture and work experience and—let’s be honest—increase productivity.
The COVID-19 pandemic brought about a rapid shift to work-from-home modalities, suddenly leaving offices around the country empty and silent. Now that the threat of the pandemic is past, maybe you’re considering bringing employees back to the office. If so, you might wonder whether you should mandate a total return or offer work-from-home and in-office options.
This guide from 45 Solutions outlines the perks of in-office work and how to shift your employees back to the office.
Is It Time for Employees To Head Back to the Office?
If your company is thriving, employees are productive, and business has never been better, maybe you’re okay with staying remote. But if you’re reading this, you’re probably aware that something’s amiss. Perhaps you have trouble reaching employees on the phone, or they’re missing deadlines, and it’s cutting into your bottom line.
Here’s how to know it’s time to bring employees back to the office:
Productivity: Some employees are incredibly productive when working remotely. Others, not so much. They think no one’s watching, so they work half as hard.
Culture: You worked hard to develop your business’s culture, but sharing that with employees who work from home can be challenging.
Employee engagement: One of the biggest drawbacks of remote work is that employees can’t meet and bounce ideas off one another as efficiently. Due to this lack of collaboration, they’re less engaged and not as motivated.
Sense of community: Some employees do best when surrounded by their co-workers, and in-office work fosters community and friendship.
Implementing a Stress-Free Return to the Office
Whether you’re considering offering both work-from-home and in-office options or want a full return to the office, you can’t spring such a big change on employees out of the blue. Doing so hurts morale, and you’ll likely lose some good performers who crave the flexibility of remote work.
To ease the transition and maintain a good work-life balance for employees, develop a clear return-to-office policy and give your employees a voice in its creation. Poll your employees and ask how they feel about the change. If you get pushback, don’t stubbornly dig in your heels and say it’s your way or the highway.
Instead, ask them how you can help make the transition easier. Depending on employee preferences, you may offer flexible hours or a hybrid work model. For example, you might allow employees to work from home two days a week in exchange for coming into the office the rest of the week.
You could also consider making returning to the office optional. This would give employees the best of both worlds: Those who love working in person will happily come to the office, while those who do best working alone can stay remote.
How do you build a strong HR department to handle these issues? Count on 45 Solutions
If you are a business owner struggling to balance work-from-home and in-office options for your business let’s talk. We can begin to build a culture where employees feel valued and heard and also where you, as the business owner, are comfortable offering options. Call (215) 828-1404 to start a conversation today.
