By Eilidh Corrigan - guest contributor

Like many pandemic-era employees, you may have recently received an email along the lines of:

“We’re delighted to welcome all employees back to our offices soon!”
“After the successful transition to remote working, we have decided to close all offices and continue working from home.” Or
“We are permanently adopting a hybrid-work model.”

Upon opening your long-awaited (/potentially dreaded) email, you might be experiencing a mixed bag of emotions. After all, the tosses and turns of the pandemic have tested us all.

Whether you are excited to return to office or are feeling nervous about fully remote or hybrid, here are some suggestions on how to excel.

Return to Office

Give yourself time to adjust

Know that “the first day back lasts longer than a year”. A lot has changed about the way we work. How we interact has evolved, business strategies have been adjusted or transformed, and individually we have all undergone a lot. It will take time to get into the swing of things.

Expect “face-to-face fatigue”

Just as we all got used to Zoom fatigue, being surrounded by people may feel overwhelming to begin with. We have become accustomed to being hyper alert about our surroundings; it will take some time to get comfortable around people again. If possible, try to restart face-to-face working halfway through the work week so you can ease back in. Consider limiting the number of in-person meetings you accept or schedule, at least early on, too.

Know that your job may have changed a little

Maybe you are welcoming some new members into the team, maybe some of your colleagues are continuing to work remotely. Maybe some practices have been scrapped or re-started. Be alert to changes and try to be adaptable. Ask questions about new norms and expectations.

Working Remotely

Structure your workweek

It’s hard to have work-life boundaries when your home is also your office. Indeed, this lack of separation can lead to longer working days and reduced productivity, particularly if we don’t fully recharge in our downtime. By defining some structure and setting goals, we can ensure work gets done and we also have some time and space to ourselves. Consider what you would like to achieve each day or week and prioritize accordingly. If possible, try to work in a separate room or area from where you go to relax. If this isn’t an option, try to reconfigure the space at the start and close of each workday.

Engage with video/audio meetings

Being seen and heard on video calls can be challenging, particularly if other participants are dialing in together from the office. Speak up, use the chat function as appropriate, and if you’re persistently overlooked, consider speaking to your colleagues individually to try to get some air time on the team calls. Be comfortable requesting audio-only meetings for 1:1s as needed - these tend to be better for reading the other person and for having a sense of separation from work, especially if the other participant is dialing in from an office and you from your home.

Be alert to the pitfalls of remote working

Unfortunately, working remotely doesn’t mean people are immune to unacceptable behaviors. According to Project Include, more than 1 in 4 people have experienced an increase in gender-based harassment and 45 percent of black women experienced race-based hostility at work during the pandemic. Listen to your colleagues and help address pernicious behaviors before they escalate further..

Related to compensating and valuing employees, some large tech companies have suggested that employees can expect a cut in their salaries if they move to areas with lower living expenses. If your employer is allowing you to make the decision to return to office or work remotely, first consider their policies for remote workers.

In it together

The transition to a remote, in-person, or hybrid working team may not be linear and there will be challenges along the way. Throughout, ask questions, make suggestions, and consider how new policies will play out in practice - for you and for your broader team.

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Eilidh Corrigan is a Saltire Scholar and served as Pencil or Ink’s Research Consultant Intern during summer 2021.

A New Way of Work | (re)adjusting to office life or going remote