Navigating the Return-to-Office Transition: Balancing Back to Work Pressures and Flexibility

Remote working has been normalised since the pandemic forced this shift, and it is only in recent months that the large scale move back into the office has become a key issue. While many workers were initially conflicted about the pros and cons of working from home, it is evident that there are many adjustments to consider when moving back into an office working environment.

We’ll take a look at the pressures that may arise during the back-to-work transition and how you can navigate these to create a positive work-life balance. Any change can be an opportunity to reassess and create a better setup, and this could be a good chance to introduce positive new elements into your daily routine.

Flexible Working vs Office Hours

Whether we loved or hated working from home, there’s no doubt that it introduced a great deal of change into the lives of office-based workers across the world. Suddenly, working from home was the only option and this forced discussion around the potential for flexible working hours, the work-life balance and the benefits of a more balanced approach.

This change raised important questions regarding working parents, disabled employees and protecting mental health, and all of these discussions remain open as we make the shift back to the office en-masse. For businesses, it is a difficult balance to negotiate the freedom and flexibility that employees value with the consistency required to maintain efficiency and productivity, and it is clear that communication is key.

Back to Work Essentials

Getting back to the office has, for some, been a relief since it allows for a more natural separation between home and the workplace. However, in recent years it has become evident that there are many benefits to working from home that cannot simply be ignored, and a return to the office must take these into account. Aspects to consider include:

Clear communication. It is vital that teams find positive ways to connect and the rapid advance in technology such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom during the pandemic has changed the face of business forever. However, consistency is the key here and this includes communication with management as well as between team members, so it is important to lay out expectations and procedures clearly from the outset.

Balancing the workload. As we make our way back into the office, it is necessary to address the way the workload is distributed and carry out reviews to identify any inconsistencies that arise. It is important for staff morale to see the workload shared fairly, and this can increase positive feeling and productivity amongst the team.

Analysing the data. You should have plenty of useful data around working from home since this was a change that so many businesses had to adapt to. You can work with this data to analyse what worked and what didn’t and use this to create a new approach based on the comparisons.

Considering the options. While some find working from home a challenge, others relished the changes to their working life and will not want to return to an office-based way of life. Hybrid working is a popular option that works well for many businesses, and you may be able to adapt to flexible working patterns on certain days of the week or make changes to your schedules according to the different types of work carried out at different times.

Listening to your employees is the key to success, and finding a working model that works for all of you will help to ensure a good balance and continuing productivity across all areas of your business.

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Gillian Murphy

(Marketing Manager) CIPD – Shannon Office

At CareerWise Recruitment, Gillian has dedicated herself to mastering the intricacies of digital media. With a keen creative insight, she crafts and oversees a dynamic content marketing strategy that captivates and engages. Her strategic marketing and project management skills enable her to grasp overarching goals and pinpoint the steps necessary for timely, cost-effective project fruition.

Gillian’s background is rooted in a vast multinational telecoms firm, contributing over nine years in Finance/HR and Project Administration roles. Additionally, she brings a wealth of knowledge from five years in editorial and desktop publishing.

Her academic credentials include a study in Personnel Management at the University of Limerick, complemented by a diploma in Business Studies.

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