While COVID-19 continues to cause massive disruptions both to our personal lives and to the general economic environment, recent months have seen some return to the pre-pandemic days. Businesses are starting to open up again, and people are beginning to return to work. Giving these hopeful signs, it’s time to figure out what you need to do to bring back your furloughed employees.
We know. It’s still scary out there. But you need to get ahead of the curve. Even if you still live in an area with ongoing coronavirus restrictions, there are signs that the pandemic will eventually pass. Whether you’re ready to enact a return program or not, you need to make sufficient plans. It’s time to put together a detailed procedure for ramping up your operations.
But how do you shake the rust off from the last few months and get people back to work? To answer that question, here’s a to-do list for bringing back your furloughed employees:
Research Up-to-Date Information
Things change quickly in the COVID world. Government regulations, medical assumptions, and market dynamics can morph suddenly as people respond to the latest bit of information. You need to remain up to date to prepare properly for a return to work.
Research the current situation before making any decisions. What’s more, create a process for ongoing education. You need to dedicate yourself to maintaining a cutting-edge understanding of the economic environment as you look to bring back your furloughed workers.
Start a Conversation
You need time to plan and to prepare for a resumption of operations. The same is true for your employees. They will need some runway to reorganize their lives in preparation for a return to work.
As such, begin the conversation as soon as possible. Don’t expect your employees to be able to rush back at a moment’s notice. Give them sufficient warning and communicate your expectations as far in advance as possible.
Get Feedback
The discussions surrounding the return of furloughed workers should go in both directions. You want to share information with your employees, but don’t make that the end of the communication process. Make sure to elicit feedback as well. By understanding your workers’ concerns, you can devise a safer, more productive back-to-work plan.
Prepare a Detailed Plan
Don’t try to improvise a comeback plan. Your workers will forgive the confusion and uncertainty that surrounded the initial pandemic panic. You were responding to unprecedented conditions.
Now, you have a chance to plan your return thoroughly. Your employees will be less patient about any hiccups this time around. As such, you should create a detailed plan to ramp up operations. The more specifics you can provide, the more comfortable your workers will feel.
Think About Safety
Things aren’t going back to the way they were before the pandemic (at least not any time soon). Any return to work has to incorporate the new normal of the post-COVID world. Implement additional safety precautions. Listen to your workers’ concerns. Put a plan in place that minimizes the risk of infection and makes everyone feel secure about coming to work.
Be Ready for Sudden Change
Yes, we just told you to have a detailed plan for bringing back furloughed workers. That’s certainly necessary. But you may need to modify that set of procedures as conditions evolve. In other words, don’t become rigid in your responses to a fast-changing environment. Be ready for surprises and stay flexible in your reaction.
Ready to get operations humming again after COVID shuts you down? Bringing back furloughed workers is just the first step. Over time, you’ll need to add to your team – a difficult prospect in the middle of an ongoing health crisis. A stellar staffing partner, like PrideStaff, can help.
Contact PrideStaff today to discover the best way to improve your team in the complicated post-COVID environment.
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