Anyone who’s ever had enforced time off work will know, the return to work can be quite daunting. Whether it’s returning from maternity leave, illness, a sabbatical, or the recent coronavirus pandemic, a large number of us will have experienced time away from the office.

Even if you’ve been remote working or home working, it can still be quite an adjustment to get back into the working way of life. Getting used to the company of others, the long commute and of course not working in your slippers all day, will take some readjusting!

However, there’s a few things we can do as individuals and organisations, to aid a successful return to work; here’s a few ideas.

Setting a routine

Whether you’re making a return to work from furlough or returning back into the shared workplace world after freelancing, having a routine will help. This can help us feel in control, and in turn adapt better to changes.

As creatures of habit, familiarity will help create some normality. This might be getting up at the same time every morning, exercising at set times or going through your ‘to do’ list every day before you switch on your laptop. We all find different ways to cope in new circumstances and having a routine will help. Nobo has a range of handy weekly planner whiteboards and glass desktop whiteboards to help visually organise your schedule and jot down to-do lists.

Assess what has changed

When you return to work from a period of time off, it’s likely that there will be some changes that your employer will need to communicate.

Don’t put pressure on yourself to integrate immediately. Start by familiarising yourself with the new surroundings and figure out the lay of the land. It’s ok to take time to gather your thoughts and feel comfortable in office surroundings again, especially due to new workplace layouts that provide safe social distancing for all employees.

The importance of keeping two metres apart and avoiding large groups will remain highly important as many employees are returning to a shared workspace. Sharing equipment and resources will need to be avoided wherever possible and increasing hygiene awareness at work will help to prevent the spread of infection.

Have a plan of action

If you lead a team and are returning to work after time off, they’ll be looking for some direction. Once you’ve assessed the situation and have a plan in place, it’s time to communicate this with your team. A small whiteboard is useful tool in gathering thoughts and feedback from team members, it will also help them to feel valued and involved. 

If you’re one of the many about to enter a phased return to work following the recent pandemic, then you’ll need to consider creative ways of working together whilst maintaining a safe social distance. A mobile easel is a great tool for collating ideas, which can be shared, displayed and viewed at a distance by team members. The Nobo Mobile Easel has castor wheels for portability across locations and easy storage. It is also versatile for use as a magnetic whiteboard or flipchart easel. 

Managing wellbeing, stay productive.

It can be a challenge to remain productive when returning to the work environment, especially following a prolonged time off, or after home working for an extensive period. Key to this, is ensuring that you look after your mental health and wellbeing.

Employers have a duty of care to provide wellbeing guidelines for colleagues. Speak to your line manager or HR team to better understand some of the policies in place. Research shows that employees who feel that their voice is heard are more than four times likely to feel empowered to perform their best work.

Have the right tools

It goes without saying that having the right tools in place will enable you to be productive. For many of us who are used to home working, there may be tools you’ve invested in that are worth transferring to the office. This might be a personal glass desktop whiteboard or whiteboard tile for jotting down your thoughts and ideas.

More and more people are discovering the benefits of a desktop whiteboard, as they are especially useful to support social distancing in the workplace; employees can have their own personal whiteboard which isn’t shared with others. 

So, there you have it, five helpful pointers for returning to work.