3 Smart Ways Businesses Can Improve Employee Morale Following COVID-19

While work may very well never be "normal" again, businesses are starting to learn how to best adapt to the “new normal” in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. While many people may be eager to return to the office, there are a number of things to keep in mind in order to keep everyone as safe as possible. However, when it comes to adapting to a post-pandemic workplace, building morale is likely to be a high focal point — regardless of the industry a business operates in.

Keeping the option to work from home 

Safety implementations are perhaps one of the biggest things that businesses will have to adapt to in the new normal. However, if it’s possible, providing the option to keep working from home can be a great way to keep employees comfortable, and can boost morale by bringing flexibility until everyone is able to get vaccinated. However, it’s important to keep in mind that it may be some time before everyone is vaccinated. One particular concern is the fact that the vaccine must be kept at a specific temperature in order to be effective, which has posed some difficulty to logistics companies and slowed vaccination rates. It’s important that masks and other safety measures remain in place regardless of an employee’s vaccination status, and it’s recommended to bring people back in phases, as well as provide a remote working option to aid the transition.

The importance of communication

Keeping up morale among employees can be done simply through effective communication. With stress and worry likely running high among your team, it’s important to keep an open line of communication among employees and management. From changes big and small to celebrating company milestones and employee accomplishments whenever possible, doing so will aid greatly in bringing motivation and peace of mind to your team. Feedback should also be encouraged, and can be used in order to figure out what’s best for the business going forward in a post-pandemic world. For example, regular team meetings and company polls can help in assessing employee needs and deciding things like whether or not employees are comfortable with returning to in-person meetings.

Building back the positivity through resources

There’s no doubt that the pandemic has been hard on employees. Whether this be due to isolation from remote working/quarantine, losing a loved one to the virus, or financial setbacks, building back positivity in the workplace is vital for both employee mental wellness and workplace productivity. One way to achieve this is by ensuring that appropriate resources are made available, which can be done in numerous ways. For instance, businesses can offer mental health or paid time off days, provide free counseling or stress management courses, or even simply re-evaluate employee workloads. By making mental health a priority, you can reduce the stigma around the subject and further ensure your employees are well.

Businesses adapting to the “new normal” post-pandemic will likely go through a lot of changes. Between safety protocols, vaccinations, and adopting new ways of getting work done remotely, it’s important that businesses act with employees' health and wellbeing in mind, as well as workplace productivity.