Hugo D. When your employees leave the office, they can relax and enjoy their time off. When they return, they’re ready to get back to work. However, returning from a vacation or other extended break from work can be a stressful experience for many employees. I am sure everyone has felt this way before.
Your desk feels smaller than usual and there’s more stuff on it than you can easily see at once. Your computer log-in screen is now a password screen and all those apps you used to check your Facebook every few minutes now make you sign in with two-factor authentication. Even something as simple as finding the copy room feels like a puzzle that needs solving.
Get organized before you return to work
Are you organized and ready to go before you return to the office? The more prepared you are, the more smoothly things will go when you return to work. If you’re not ready, you may feel overwhelmed and frustrated by the mere thought of getting back to the office. Planning your return to the office can help you stay organized and productive. Make sure you have all the necessary supplies.
Have you booked a conference room? Are your computer, printer, and phone fully stocked? Do you have your access codes handy? If you are responsible for managing company assets, do you have a plan for transitioning out of vacation mode and back into managing your team’s daily tasks and responsibilities? With the help of software like DeskFlex, you can easily organize everything even before everyone is back at the office.
The importance of preparing employees
An employee’s first day back at work after an extended vacation or time off might be less stressful if they’ve had time to prepare for the transition and know what to expect. By announcing the employee’s return and reminding employees of the schedule change and other expectations, you can help employees prepare for their return to the office. An important part of preparing your employees for their return to work is communicating expectations.
When employees know what is expected of them, they will feel more confident and less stressed. By helping your employees prepare for their return to work, you can ease the transition and reduce stress on the first day back. You may want to consider providing information about the company’s policies and procedures. You may also want to provide information about the company culture and expectations.
Ways to ease employees
Hold a welcome back meeting
Your employees may have been eager to get back to work before the meeting, but a welcome back meeting can help them adjust to working life after their time off. Your meeting can include information about the latest company news and events, reminders about the latest trends and best practices, and time for questions.
Be sure to include questions about how employees handled vacation time and other off-site activities. It’s your chance to use this meeting to discuss any changes in the team’s dynamic that may have occurred while they were gone.
Set expectations for regular communication
Let employees know that they can expect to hear from you regularly. Let them know how often you plan to check in, how you will communicate with them, and what they should expect the communication to include.
In addition to regular communication, be sure to check in with employees on their first day back at work. Make this a positive experience for everyone. Set a tone for the rest of the year by focusing on the positive aspects of their return.
Emphasize the importance of team communication
Your team members must communicate with one another. If they don’t regularly communicate, they won’t be as productive as they could be. Help your employees ease back into work by emphasizing the importance of regular communication. Let them know how you like to be communicated with. Hold team meetings and encourage communication between employees.
Tips for reducing stress on the first day back
- Help employees prepare for the meeting – If you plan to hold a meeting on the first day back, prepare your employees ahead of time. Let them know what the meeting is about and what they can expect. If you want to discuss vacation time or recent company events, you can do that as well.
- Add a positive spin to the negative first-day back events – Let’s say your team has a lot of work to do on the employees’ first day back. You can help ease their stress by adding a positive spin to this negative situation. So let your employees know that you’ve brought them back to the office and that they can help the team get caught up and back on track after their vacation.
- Use a checklist to ease stress – You can use a checklist to remind employees about the things they need to do on their first day back. A checklist can help them remember to perform essential tasks such as picking up their ID badges, getting their laptop logged in, and other items.
How to make the transition back to work smoother
If you want your employees to experience a smoother transition back to work, you need to be aware of the stress they may feel and take action to help them. Employees may feel overwhelmed by the return to the office if they don’t have a handle on how to handle the transition. There are ways you can help your team members make the transition back to work smoother.
- Offer flexibility – When you have a team, it’s important to remember that every employee is an individual. Everyone has different strengths, weaknesses, and skill levels. You can help employees make the transition back to work smoother by offering flexibility in their schedules, workspace, and communication methods. You can also offer flexibility in how you communicate with your team members.
- Make it clear that you’re available to talk – Let employees know that you’re available to talk when they feel ready to do so. Let them know that you don’t expect them to come to you when they start feeling overwhelmed. Let them know that you’ll approach them when you see they’re ready to talk.
- Give your team members a chance to unplug – You can also help your team members make the transition back to work smoother by giving them a chance to unplug. After a vacation, many employees may need time away from technology. Let them know that you understand if they need a day or two to regroup before they’re fully plugged back in.
The importance of debriefing employees after their return
Managing stress is an important part of life and work. However, stress isn’t always a bad thing. It can motivate us to do better and help us to excel in our careers. It can also lead to burnout and affect our health. When you debrief with your employees after their return, you can help them to manage their stress better and sustain their productivity.
You can help your team members deal with the return to work by debriefing the transition. Debriefing can help employees process their emotions and experiences. It can also help them identify strategies for managing their stress.
Conclusion
When your employees return from their vacation, they may feel overwhelmed by the transition back to work. You can ease their transition by getting organized before they return, helping them prepare for their return, offering flexibility, making it clear that you’re available to talk, using a checklist to ease stress, and helping them to manage their stress by debriefing the transition.
Having a plan and easing employees into their return to work can help them feel more comfortable and less stressed during their first day back. When you take the time to prepare your employees for the transition, they will appreciate it, and the experience will be much smoother for everyone involved.
