Navigating a Return to Work in the Post-Pandemic "New Normal"

After a year-and-a-half of remote operations, many companies are now eyeballing Labor Day to have employees return to the office. But it’ll be far from business as usual. The post-pandemic reality requires that companies approach their business in a new way, especially in order to remain competitive and retain or attract talent in this changing landscape.

“There’s a lot to consider as companies move into the new normal,” said Tracey Best, director of the Employee Benefits Practice Group at C3. “They must now take a fresh look at what has and hasn’t worked over the past year, how to address employee concerns, and what strategies and plans must be put in place so they can continue to thrive.”

While those strategies and plans may look a bit different from company to company, they should include some common considerations, starting with health and safety protocols. Enforcing social distancing and mask-wearing, ensuring clean and sanitized work areas, and aligning on how to handle mandated vaccinations should all be top of mind for employers. This last point, however, remains a gray area, given HIPAA, OSHA and EEOC laws.

“A lot of proposed rules and regulations with regard to mandated vaccinations continue to unfold, and, of course, different states and regions have different requirements for how employers handle it all,” said Best. “The reality is much of it won’t be sorted out until the courts get involved. In the meantime, many companies are adopting a hybrid model: Come to work if you’re vaccinated; if not, wear a mask to protect yourself and others.”

Companies must also consider enhancing the types of benefits and services they offer to attract and retain employees. “Employees have spent over a year building their lives around remote work. Now they’re thinking, ‘Is my employer going to force me to come back to the office? Are there other employers that won’t?’” said Best. “In this competitive landscape, it’s all about serving the employee.”

That might mean continuing flexibility in allowing remote work and investing in technologies that better enable it. Of course, the added benefit of remote workers is that the available talent pool significantly opens up, as companies can hire from literally anywhere. It also means that employers must now offer nationally scalable health and wellness benefits (such as a PPO vs. an HMO).

The pandemic also magnified the importance of mental health services. Indeed, mental health services are coveted and have taken center stage in wellness benefits today. As such, companies must communicate the availability of resources frequently, underscoring their commitment to supporting their employees.

With changes being made to benefits and policies, it makes sense that companies likewise update their brand and culture to reflect their refreshed perspective. For example, perhaps the brand before COVID-19 conveyed, “We’re here in one building; we like our employees to be physically present.” Now, a company should ensure its Glassdoor profile reflects a hybrid workforce, which attracts different talent. The important point to remember here is that the public face of the company must be aligned with the internal message.

“Seismic world events require significant changes in so many areas of a business,” summed up Best. She notes that finding an outside partner can enable an organization to draw on a pool of expertise to navigate the unchartered territory. “Such an exercise is too important to trust to just anyone.”