Understanding your employees
Mark Stallard • 1 July 2020
Monthly blog from senior director, Mark Stallard
There are some fantastic employers out there. Employers who really care about the people they work with. Many of them have continued to keep their businesses operational ready for when people return to some normality.
The real proactive and caring employers will have ensured they maintained some contact with their employees throughout the lockdown period. Checking they are ok. Keeping them up to date with progress. Passing on information that might be applicable for when they return.
Although a huge amount of credit goes towards these individuals, remote contact and virtual contact is not the same as face to face.
As your employees will begin a phased back to work process it’s important to offer some tips to ensure this runs as smoothly as possible:
TIPS
1. Always maintain some form of communication prior to them returning. Explain what you have done and what you are going to do. Set the scene before their first day back.
2. Let them have an opportunity to raise any concerns or apprehensions they may have.
3. On the first day back, arrange a face to face meeting with each individual. Talk through the risk assessment you prepared for COVID-19. Show them what arrangements you have made.
4. Discretely monitor their behaviour.
5. Please keep in mind they may have older children at home and may need to take extra personal calls. Be patient with them.
6. Offer additional support on any work they are doing. Being away from the workplace can have an impact on work performance. Some individuals may take a little time to get back to normal.
7. Be a good person. Never lose sight that people respond better when they are treated well.
Best of luck to all those people who will be starting back at work shortly.
Our guidance poster campaign has focused on four new health and safety topics
March has seen four new guidance poster campaign topics
We focused on four new health and safety topics as part of our guidance poster campaign