Five tips for managing anxiety upon returning to the workplace

You’re not alone if you’ve recently experienced some anxiety when thinking about returning to the office  after working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a recent report from McKinsey, 1 in 3 workers surveyed said that conversations on returning to the workplace had hurt their mental health.

As offices and other workplaces reopen, human resources and people leaders are being called upon to help their employees manage that stress. 

We’ve put together four tips that might be helpful for you and your team to manage return to work anxiety.

Reset your workflows.

When your employees adapted to working from home, they established new routines. These weren’t just changes to not having a commute or helping with online learning. Workflows and processes were adapted by employees working across town — and potentially across the country — from each other. 

Coming back to the workplace means adapting those workflows and processes all over again. Make time to work with team leads and employees to identify what’s changed, what might need to be changed again and communicate those plans clearly to everyone on the team.

Clarity is critical in making the transition back to the office go smoothly. Make sure your plans include how work will get done and who is responsible for what tasks so everyone knows their role.

Ask. Ask. Then ask again.

In a perfect world, everyone would feel comfortable sharing how they think about returning to the office. Unfortunately, some employees may feel uncertain about sharing their feelings on returning to the workplace.

While you may have a great virtual town hall to get feedback from your employees, using an anonymous survey or other feedback tools can provide a way for those employees to share their anxieties. They can also potentially give you ideas to make the return to the office easier for everyone.

It’s also essential to look for signs of distress or anxiety within your team. Is an employee pushing off assignments or asking for an extension before returning to the office? These could be signs that your employee is experiencing anxiety.

Offer flexibility in when your employees work.

Some employees have difficulty transitioning back into traditional office life because they’ve gotten used to working during non-traditional hours. 

For employees with children, many have had to balance work and helping them with virtual learning. They’ve learned to work at night when their children are in bed. With children heading back to school, there’s a double-edged sword of anxiety. Parents are anxious about returning to the office, and they’re also nervous about their children going back to school.

Offer these employees more flexibility in core hours in the office and let them know you understand they may need to work from home more often in the event of a class or school closure. 

Get the word out - and get it out often!

The only time less isn’t more is when we’re talking about communicating with your employees. Starting before your office reopens, send out updates as often as you have new information. Provide both public and anonymous methods of employees to provide feedback — it’s great for them, and it gives you the knowledge and insights you need to adjust your plan if needed.

When your employees return to the workplace, set up quick meetings or check-ins, so your employees know you’re there to listen — and to act. 

If you have employees who will continue to work from home or remotely, remember to include them in all communications and meetings about the return to the workplace plan. 

Not being in the same building may cause anxiety for those employees as they may feel disconnected or left out of conversations.

Show some appreciation

Over the last two years, your employees have adjusted, adapted, and delivered for your business. As they make this next transition back to the office, find ways to show appreciation and recognize what they’re going through. 

Showing appreciation can be as simple as a call, an email, or just a physically distant conversation when you’re back in the office. You can also look at options for sending personalized gifts to your employees to let them know you care about them and their families.

Whatever you choose to do, remember that you need to take care of yourself too. If you’re feeling anxious about returning to the workplace or managing the expectations of your team, ask for help!