Myself and the other members of the SJVCEO are thankful that we have been able to continue to work through the COVID-19 pandemic. While working from home or remotely, we have had to make some adjustments, however we are still able to work through the days safely in our own homes. We are pushing the three-month mark, so yes things have changed, especially in the context of face to face meetings. For our organization, we are unsure of when we will be able to meet in person with partners again, but rest assured, the day will come!

As businesses begin their journeys back into their normal office space in the coming months, this is a key period where inclusivity must be heavily considered. Reintegrating every employee back into the office five days a week, for 8 hours days does not reflect what is needed for many, especially today. There are a million and one additional factors that now need to be taken into consideration. What if any employee has a spouse that is an essential frontline worker and they fear exposure? Or what if the employee is a single parent and their child’s school is not in session due to the pandemic? Or if an employee is suffering from emotional stress due to all the changes that have occurred in the world in the last couple of months? Whether a company employs 10 people or 1,000 people, the time of reintegration is going to be key to the future success of the business.

After engaging in a vast amount of reading about the future of the American workforce, there is a lot of negative language and dialogue that addresses changes coming into fruition. In a Forbes article, “Winning the Peace: Consider Diversity Before Integrating Your Workforce”, writes Stephen Frost shares “In crisis lies opportunity-but only if we seize it… thinking inclusively at this juncture will improve the lives of so many, but also contribute to better business and better social outcomes for all of us.” This is the positive outlook that we need to focus our energy on. We must be proactive and seize the opportunity that will allow us to restructure our workplaces to serve with equity and passion. Most of this falls on the business leaders or decision-makers of the workforce. I do not say that to instill any negative pressure, I say it to push action moving forward.

Business leaders must take the reigns to model what it means to be understanding and humane. As I mentioned previously, each person is taking this pandemic very differently and each person has their own experience and we need to be cautious of all these things. This is an opportunity to make those changes to your workforce and understand the needs of your employees as a group and on an individual basis.

Below you will find guidelines provided by Stephen Frost that we all must consider during this time of transition. Whether the entire office staff will be returning or just a couple of staff members, I found the guidelines below to embody what our workforce needs to enact moving forward:

Equity and equality are not the same – reach out to those who may be suffering more to sensitively reintegrate on their terms. A bit of care and empathy now will come back to you tenfold down the line.
Factor in different personality types, health profiles, family situations, before ordering people to do one thing or another.
Ensure safety and accessibility for all – offices are being physically refigured with PPE installed[vi] and new (one-way) routes and stair routes etc. But have you considered your entire workforce here (e.g. disabled workers)?
Make use of digital options – apps, work media and other mobile technology mean we can connect to our workforce in ways that previous generations couldn’t.
Give your workforce something to celebrate – whether it’s good news stories from within the crisis, or simply acknowledging key dates such as Pride month or Ramadan to offer empathy and continuity.