12 Tips for Returning to Work Post-Pandemic
Medically reviewed by Vara Saripalli, Psy.D. — Written by Simone M. Scully on July 8, 2021
While I was interviewing for jobs during the pandemic, the
very first question I asked was: “What are your plans for going back to the
office?”
The
answer was always: “We don’t know.”
As
vaccines have rolled out and infection numbers dropped, I’ve found myself
suddenly faced with conflicting emotions I wasn’t expecting.
I was
relieved that things seemed to be getting better, but I had a looming sense of
dread. I wasn’t sure I ever wanted to go back to an office.
It
wasn’t just that I wanted to skip the commute, the long hours under fluorescent
lights, and that colleague who was always a little too interested in everyone
else’s business.
The
truth was: I couldn’t quite let go of the fear.
After
over a year of being afraid of getting too close to someone, I couldn’t quite
trust that things were truly going to go back to normal.
According
to surveys by Harvard Business School and Future Forum
by Slack, a large portion of the population doesn’t want to return to the
office full-time.
A Live
Career survey reported that 29 percent of employees are prepared to
quit if their companies revoke their ability to work from home, and 62 percent
say they’ll give preference to employers who offer remote work for future
positions.
Even
vaccinated people share similar feelings.
A
survey by the American Psychological Association found that 48
percent of people who are vaccinated feel uneasy about returning to in-person
interactions.
“Many
of us had painfully adjusted to new routines, including working from home,
simultaneously providing childcare, overseeing online schooling, and developing
virtual social, familial, and work relationships,” says Erin Engle, PSYD, an assistant professor of medical psychology in
psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center.
“Despite
this stress,” Engle says, “some found unexpected positive rewards in working
from home, which included closeness to family, increased productivity, and
convenience.”
Part
of the problem is that there’s still a lot of uncertainty about the future. It
doesn’t help that there have been frequent changes to the safety guidelines as
scientists learn more about the virus and more people become vaccinated.
To
help you feel more comfortable going back to the office, experts weigh in on
what you should know about keeping yourself safe, both physically and mentally.
In
May 2021, the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC)Trusted Source announced that masks are not needed if you’ve been
fully vaccinated.
On
June 25th, 2021, the World Health
Organization (WHO)Trusted Source urged
people at a press conference to continue wearing their masks due to variants,
even if they’re fully vaccinated.
The
CDC still hasn’t changed their guidance, but the contradictions between WHO and
the CDC are confusing at best.
In
many places, mask mandates have been lifted based on an honor system. You’re
supposed to still wear your mask if you haven’t been
vaccinated.
This
can spread mistrust and ill will between employees.
“Unfortunately,
the honor system works only to the extent that all involved are honorable,”
explains Philip Tierno, professor of microbiology and pathology at the NYU
Grossman School of Medicine. “If a worker is suspicious that a fellow worker
didn’t get vaccinated, they can still wear a mask.”
“Trust
is low at the moment,” says Adam Mandel, PhD, a clinical psychologist at NYU Langone Health.
“With the pandemic, we can’t see the virus, we can’t see who’s infected with
the virus, [and] we can’t see if it’s on us or if it’s around us. It’s very
hard to just trust others with your life.”
Not
everyone feels comfortable taking their mask off, and that’s OK. It may take
you a while before you feel totally safe without a mask, even after your
vaccination.
To be
safe, you may want to keep a mask or two in your bag or at your desk — and
always abide by local and office mandates.
“Surface
transmission is more minimal,” Tierno explains. “But you can still spread
[COVID-19] by touching a contaminated surface, then touching your mouth, eyes,
or nose.”
The
solution is simple.
“Even
though it’s a lesser means of transfer, wash your hands often — especially as you contact things that have been
touched by other people,” he continues. “That is the smartest thing you can
do.”
Plus,
washing your hands will protect you from other bacteria and viruses and keep
you healthier as a whole.
Wipe down your desk if that makes you feel more comfortable, especially if
you work the second shift or share a desk.
“If
there are people who are in the office before you, you can clean your desk,
because there may have been some aerosol transmission,” Tierno says.
Alcohol
wipes or disinfectants should kill any traces of the virus on surfaces.
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Avoid crowds or take precautions
With
new variants emerging, sanitizing is still going to be a good idea for a while.
Physical
distancing and avoiding large crowds is something you might want to do if you have an
unvaccinated family member at home, like a young child.
It
will be awhile before we know whether vaccinated people can infect unvaccinated
people with the new variants.
“It’s
instinctual to protect those we love, especially when loved ones are
vulnerable,” Engle explains. “For parents during the pandemic, those living in
multigenerational households, or who have a medically vulnerable individual
within their household, it’s an instinct to protect by limiting risk.”
You
can limit risk by taking the same precautions you have from day one.
“Crowds
are a perfect environment for super-spreading because crowds may possess people
who are vaccinated, who are not vaccinated, and others who may be carrying the
virus unknown to them,” Tierno explains.
Since
vaccines aren’t 100 percent effective, opt to avoid large gatherings or wear a
mask in crowded or tight places.
Fresh
air improves air circulation, lessening your chances of getting infected.
If
you have the ability to open a window or door in your workspace, take advantage
of the opportunity.
A
breeze can help prevent air from getting stale and recycled, providing
ventilation and reducing risk of virus transmission.
Many
employers are requiring employees to get vaccinated before returning to the
office.
In
fact, on June 1, 2021, the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission (EEOC) said
it’s legal for companies to require vaccines for all employees unless they have
a medical dispensation.
If
your employer requires the vaccine, going back to the office will be much
safer. You can also ask your employer if they plan to implement other safety
procedures.
For
example, many employers are:
- spacing desks 6 feet apart
- capping large meetings
- disinfecting surfaces and shared equipment
- investing in ventilation systems, such as
air-ionization
Asking
your employer about their safety procedures can make you feel safer, and it can
guide your decisions about what safety measures you want to keep up on your
own.
Some
people are really excited to see each other in person. This
might result in unwanted handshakes and hugs.
Here’s
the thing: It’s OK to say no to physical touch. No one should touch you without your permission, pandemic
or not.
If
you’re feeling uncomfortable, make a plan for what feels safe and comfortable
for you. Then, tell your colleagues in a kind but clear way.
“Clear
communication is key in helping coworkers — even family or close friends — to
understand your needs around safety and personal boundaries,” Engle says. “It can also be helpful to remember that
someone else’s limits and boundaries may not be the same as our own.”
Try
to be nonjudgmental when you bring up the subject, she says, and “remain open
and curious to understand someone else’s current boundaries, point of view, or
limits.”
It
can also be helpful to avoid accusations and instead, use “I” statements to
explain how you feel and why your boundaries are important to you.
For
example, Engle says you could say: “‘I know it’s tiring to wear a mask, but I
have a loved one at home who hasn’t yet had the vaccine, and I’m worried about
my loved one’s well-being — even though I’ve been vaccinated.”
After
over a year of surviving a global pandemic, some of that anxiety is normal. It
can be hard to readjust to what life was like before, even when things start to
get better.
It’s
a little analogous, according to Mandel, to service people going off to war and coming back.
“When
someone flies off to war, they fly off to a very different environment, and
they train extensively for that environment,” he continues.
“They’re
told over and over and over again, as they learn these new behaviors, that if
they don’t do this, they and their teammates and their friends may die or
become seriously injured. They’re training their brains essentially to engage
in a series of behaviors to keep themselves safe.”
When
those troops come home after their deployment, they often have a challenging
re-entry process.
“There
are all these markers that things are changed — the people sound different, the
language is different, the smells are different — but the behaviors they
learned don’t just retreat right away,” Mandel explains.
In
some ways, according to Mandel, we’re all going through something similar as we
emerge from the pandemic.
“We
were going about our lives, thinking everything is fine,” he says. “But,
overnight, we started to feel unsafe… just like the soldiers returning from
war, this chronic activation of the amygdala and
the safety behaviors have been so ingrained that it’s hard to set them aside.”
In
other words: The fear we have and the safety behaviors we learned aren’t going
to go away overnight. They’re going to stay until we individually feel safe and
ready to let them go.
If
your employer isn’t implementing any safety procedures, you’re
justified in having concerns.
If
you suspect someone is lying about their vaccine, if an employee is repeatedly
ignoring your requests not to be touched, or if your employer is not enforcing
any safety procedures, you’re within your rights to say something.
“It’s
the obligation of employers typically to meet basic occupational and safety
concerns,” Mandel says. “Anyone who’s concerned, I would encourage them to
speak up and speak out often, preferably to someone in management or in human
resources who can help them address their concerns.”
It’s
important to know that it’s most likely legal
for your employer to require you to return to
the office and fire you if you don’t.
If
you genuinely don’t want to return, you might need to evaluate whether you can
afford to leave or lose your job.
For many
Americans, that’s not an option. If you’re in this position, your best chance
is to look for a new job before your return-to-office date.
However,
you can still try to negotiate an arrangement with your employer that makes you
more comfortable.
You
can ask your employer if they’re open to a hybrid or extended remote work
schedule, especially if:
- You did a great job working from home over the past
year.
- You’re unable to find suitable childcare or are a
caregiver for an at-risk family member.
- You have a pre-existing condition that puts your health
at risk if you return to the office.
In
some cases, you may be legally entitled to these accommodations. Check with
your Human Resources representative to learn more.
When
someone feels powerless over their physical safety and continues to feel
powerless for so long that they start avoiding certain behaviors, according to
Mandel, they’re at more risk for developing a trauma-related disorder, such as
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The
pandemic was an event that made many people feel powerless.
“No
one walked over to their local health department and said, ‘I’ll have a
pandemic and a side of fries,'” Mandel says.
After
a traumatic year, some of us are feeling re-traumatized by the fact that we’re
being told we have to go back to work.
“When
we are told by a power larger than ourselves — like a corporation — that it’s
time for us to return to work and we have no say in that, it echoes the
powerlessness that we’ve experienced during the pandemic,” Mandel explains.
“That can be destabilizing.”
For
some, that might generate trauma or trigger some intense feelings of anxiety or depression.
According
to Engle, some warning signs that your anxiety about going back to work may be
a cause for concern include:
- being so preoccupied with your fear of COVID-19 that
you can no longer socially function
- experiencing extreme avoidance
- having trouble getting out of bed
- having difficulty caring for yourself or dependents
- not being able to work or complete school tasks
- experiencing an increase in substance use or misuse
- having suicidal thoughts or behaviors
Studies have shown that
early intervention is best when it comes to mental health and fostering
post-traumatic growth.
If
you’re really struggling with the idea of going back to an office, or if you’re
feeling anxious and depressed, it’s best to reach out to a medical professional
or mental health expert as soon as you can.
In
many ways, going back to the office is a sign that the worst of the pandemic is
likely behind us. If you’re unhappy, scared, or anxious about returning, know
you’re not alone.
The
truth is: You can take steps to protect yourself and mentally and physically
prepare for what’s next.
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