by Gerry Waters, on Jul 30, 2021 11:16:29 AM
We’ve all been through every possible emotion over the past year, and faced a host of challenges - from disconnection from friends and colleagues to juggling children with zoom calls - when trying to work from home. The prospect of transitioning back to office life brings new anxiety and uncertainty, and even as I write, big tech companies such as Google and Facebook are delaying back-to-work plans, amid fears of the Delta variant. Whatever stage you're at, keeping informed and thinking through your options is key. We've pulled together a few recent articles to help.
The Harvard Business Review succinctly breaks down why you might be feeling anxious, and what to do about it
This Forbes article covers the pretty significant resistance to the return to mandatory in-person working, citing a McKinsey study that found 29% of workers would seek to change jobs rather than returning to an exclusively onsite job. It then switches to talk through the hugely beneficial aspects of returning to the office, and how to manage the process for YOUR benefit, rather than that of your manager.
The New York Times podcast and transcript takes a step back to examine whether we really should be going back to the office, and what the alternatives might be.
For all those working in HR, charged with helping to create a new type of working environment that is likely to balance at home with in-office working, and a more flexible use of space that ensures connection and collaboration as well as ensuring that employees feel comfortable rather than coerced, there are a host of articles written by HR specialists. SHRM has a host of advice and articles on the subject, which you can access here, and Amy Gallo on the Harvard Business Review provides a great overview of things to think about.
Our corporate program that helps employees openly talk about and deal with anxiety, Angst, is available and relevant for all types of corporations and businesses. Beloved and much used by Microsoft as a way to help employees engage with resources for both themselves and their families, it helps employees understand how anxiety manifests, that it's 100% treatable, and very common. Screenings can be held in person, virtually or in hybrid form and followed by an expert discussion panel made up of any combination of mental health specialist, film participant / director and corporate leaders. Companies who have screened with us attest that it has literally saved lives. Click here to learn about this simple and effective way to kick-start welcoming employees back to the office, and click on the image below to Julie Krause of Microsoft's perspective on how Angst has helped Microsoft.
