The End Of Lockdown: How Will We Get Our Office 'Mojo' Back?

How will transition back to office life? Andrew Cooke, Strategic Director at Bruntwood Works has the answer.

“It is no surprise that some office workers will struggle to get back into the flow of the daily commute and general office environment after a whole year WFH. A lot has changed. We’re used to everything being virtual e.g. providing virtual mental wellbeing, online office socials so that needs to be reflected in the return to the office.

Make sure you’re investing into flexibility to give employees a chance to settle into the new normal, gently.

Here are some of the actions you can take to get your ‘office mojo’ back, whether you are a business owner or an employee:

Ramp up the company comms in the run up to the official ‘back to office’ day, encouraging staff to talk openly about their anxieties to show that they are not alone in their feelings, and also to familiarise themselves with the inevitable office small talk.

Throughout the day, upon the return to the office, offer regular wellbeing breaks to anyone who is struggling to adapt back to the office environment. Continue mental wellbeing conversations with your colleagues, and check in with each other regularly.

Offer your staff a cycle to work or car sharing scheme, to ease the anxiety many might have around the morning commute.

A relaxed office dress code could also help champion flexibility. We have all seen each other's homes during WFH zoom calls, so surely we can feel more comfortable with a more relaxed dress code in a workplace environment.

Allow yourself extra time in the morning to prepare yourself for the commute, whether this be meditation, a longer walk to the station, or just time to pick up a coffee on the way- whatever improves your mental wellbeing the most.

Don’t be as concerned about turning up late to work. Business owners should offer a little more flexibility whether this be hybrid working, flexible hours or benefit of the doubt during the adjustment period.
Hybring working, where customers split time between workspaces, home working and third spaces has steadily grown over several years, but the pandemic has acted as a nationwide social experiment that has supercharged this trend.

The office and working from home are both key parts of every business’ toolkit and the balance between the two post pandemic will inevitably change.This means creating spaces which add value to our customers' business and which power productivity. We are creating spaces which keep our customers teams happy, healthy and culturally fulfilled in their cities and towns- and we suggest other businesses follow suit to ensure their staff have the smoothest transition back to office life”.

https://bruntwood.co.uk/about-bruntwood/works/