Returning to work in a vaccinated world

For over a year, the world has adjusted to social distancing. With the administration of vaccines well underway, the transition of returning to the workplace is the natural next step. At this critical juncture, and as we begin to transition to this new normal, more and more business leaders are assembling teams and task forces to create a safe workplace environment. However, even though over 50% of the U.S. population has received the full COVID-19 vaccine and 70% has received at least one dose, the fear of returning to work and potentially being exposed continues to concern both employers and employees.

Handling Return-to-Work Anxiety

After a year of working from home, there may be some expected anxiety, uncertainty, and feeling of hesitancy from your employees when it’s time to return to the workplace. Even with the nation more than 50% vaccinated, we still have not reached the point of herd immunity to disrupt the viral transmission, and there is still talk in the news about emerging variants which adds to the anxiety.

Anxiety is a fear of the unknown, and for over a year, COVID-19 has shown us there was safety and comfort in our own homes, but that is augmented reality. The “new normal” will look a little different at first, and while we transition to the workplace, it helps to plan ahead to gain some control of this uncertainty.

 

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