In recent years, the change from traditional in-person working to remote working has come as a result of many different factors and events. Now that many places of work are able to safely accommodate employees again, some businesses have experienced a reluctance in their workforce when it comes to returning to the office. If you are a business owner or a manager and have found it difficult to attract your employees back to an in-person work environment, here are some ways to make it more appealing.
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Offer Commuting Incentives
The precise nature of the incentives that your business can offer will depend on your budget and any other employee benefits you currently run. For many employers, encouraging people to commute to work often involves making it more financially appealing. For example, you could offer an incentive that makes it more affordable for your employees to purchase bikes so they can cycle to work, both encouraging them to return to the office and promoting their health and wellbeing.
Choose Attractive Office Premises
Although how a place of work looks doesn’t rate very highly on the average employee’s list of priorities, an attractive office that is welcoming and has a pleasant atmosphere is far more likely to encourage your employees to return than a workspace that is run down or poorly furnished. If you are in the market for a change of premises, take a look at the workplace company for examples of offices that are both practical and attractive. With good design features and comfortable furniture, you can create a workspace that your employees will be excited to use.
Arrange a Mix of Office and Remote Working Time
For some employees, the transition from working entirely from home to returning to the office can be too much of a sudden adjustment, especially if they have been working remotely for several months or more. You can make this transition easier by taking it in stages to reintroduce office hours, so each employee has the chance to become familiar with a more structured work environment again. Some employees may also need time to find childcare that works with their office hours, so being generous and allowing for an adjustment period can make your workforce more likely to come back.
Put Necessary Safety Measures in Place
Some employees may be unwilling to return to the office due to health concerns. To make this easier, you can add safety measures to reassure them that a return to work doesn’t mean compromising their health and wellbeing. Partitions and plenty of personal space as well as good hygiene practices can help uncertain employees feel welcome in the office again.
Not every employee will be resistant to the idea of returning to work at the office since many people have found working from home to be unhealthy for their personal and family life. However, for the employees who believe that remote working is best for them, hopefully the above suggestions will help you to encourage them to return to the office.