Our Post COVID-19 Future
It is never too early to start thinking about the future after Covid-19. Businesses have been thinking about focussing on survival, but what happens when we get back to normal. It was easy enough to lock down but is it as easy to ramp up again? The answer is yes it should be.
It is time to think about the future and perhaps looking at how to be more agile:
Social distancing is likely to be around for some time yet, it is advisable for you to ensure that you put appropriate safety measures in place and communicate this to your employees;
Mental health has been a real focus for many during the lockdown, and for some, the prospect of returning to work may actually be even more worrying than being at home dealing with feelings of loneliness and anxiety. Some employees may be very worried about getting back onto public transport, being back in close proximity with colleagues or just having to resume a "normal" working day. You will need a clear communication plan in place to allay concerns by setting out what you plan to do to help employees, and also a clear support programme to help those who are struggling to deal with the return to work;
Many employees may have suffered bereavements during this period, and will need additional support to help them manage their grief particularly in situations where they were unable to be with loved ones or attend funerals;
Do you need bring all employees back at the same time? Can you bring them back on reduced hours, part-time basis or even bring them back on a rotation basis, can they continue to work remotely?
Are all employees required going forward? Have you got the right skills and knowledge in your business for the future and have up to date position descriptions to reflect your needs?
It is good to look at what your customers requirements are so you can amend your business plan and resources accordingly;
If you need to make redundancies do you have the budget and the right policies and processes in place;
How are you going to work in the future – will you still have home working? If so this could be a change in contract, are your employees work stations set up properly from an ergonomic perspective, will you pay the HMRC homeworking expenses;
Do Managers need to learn some new skills or coaching to help managing their teams virtually?
We can help your businesses re-evaluate and look at your organisational design, resource plans and the structure of your businesses going forward, we can assist with updating position descriptions and policies and even managing redundancy programmes if necessary.