For the past 18 months, 95% of the office-based workforce have worked remotely, which has meant that a lot of offices have been stood dormant for the best part of two years. Now that the pandemic has started to develop into a beast we’re learning to live with, you might be thinking about getting yourself and your team back to the office.

Of course, while the concept might seem fairly simple, there’s a lot to consider after being away for such a long time. You can’t just dive back into office life the way it was before, you need to take the time to think about what steps you need to take for a smoother transition into office life.

The question is, of course – what steps do you need to take to transition seamlessly back into office life? How should you prepare to welcome your team back to the office? What does moving back into the office successfully look like? The truth is, there’s a lot to think about and consider – but don’t panic, because it doesn’t have to be overly stressful.

For everything that you need to know about smoothly transitioning yourself and your team back to the office, have a read of this!

Safety First

Start with safety at the forefront of your mind. The most important thing is to get your team members back to the office safely. Which means taking the time to think about what ‘safely’ looks like and what steps and precautions you might want to take.

It’s not just a case of thinking about creating a covid secure workspace, it’s also thinking about what areas of your office might need safety testing and checking beforehand, such as your HVAC system – you can find out more about this by contacting a certified company. You might also want to get your water tested and your plug sockets PAT tested for safety.

Take Things Slowly

It’s important to give everyone time to adjust to the concept of returning to the office. You can’t simply send out an email telling everyone that the company is returning to the office and expect that everyone instantly returns. Instead, you need to give people time to get used to the idea of returning to the office.

You might also want to consider offering your team members a personalised approach to returning to the office. It’s a nice step to speak to each team member about how they feel about returning to the office and whether they would enjoy returning to the office – you might find that some team members don’t want to return at all. It’s important to be as accommodating as you can be.

Ask for Ideas

Speak to your team members and ask for ideas regarding returning to the office. Ask your team members what they want from a return to the office. Find out what your team values when it comes to their working environment. You might be surprised by what you find out.

There you have it, a few simple tips for a smoother transition back to the office for everyone.