Jessica Chivers - Returning to work
Jessica Chivers - Returning to work...
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How can we support our employees that are returning to work?
Empathy is the first thing. Think about who do you know or have you had an experience yourself of taking leave? What was it that your line manager did for you when you took a break? But think about what it's like to be that person. Be there on day one for them. Think about doing a phase return to ease that return to work. Offer them coaching, offer them a buddy, and make sure the line manager knows what they're doing in terms of being there on day one. A keeping touch plan. So even when they're coming back, they've had keeping in touch experiences a first 100 days plan so the individual knows what to expect. Because when expectations are managed, everyone feels more comfortable having regular one-to-ones. Those are just some of the key things that we can do to help people back.
Should we have a returning to work policy?
Yeah, this is the sort of thing that you want to have in your employee handbook. So again, people know what to expect because, for example, if it's a maternity leave, we're thinking about as soon as someone knows that she's pregnant, she will go and have a look at that handbook and find out what she's entitled to, what the expectations are. So if you can just have things written in there about how they will be supported back to work, maybe like your phased return policy, that's where someone gradually comes back to work rather than just coming back, say, full time. If that's what they're contracted to do, if they could build up to that. So little things like that that say, this is our approach, this is our policy. Absolutely do that.
How can we motivate employees to return to work?
In our work, we talk about three pillars. We talk about people feeling confident, connected, and cared for. And that connection piece, it's things like inviting people to the summer barbecue, to the Christmas party, to away days, to a strategy briefing. And if people feel like they are connected and that they're being thought of, they're being cared for whilst they're being away, then they're weren't going to want to come back. And if you've been giving them feedback whilst they've been away, imagine a client sends a present in the card and says, the work that you've done is amazing. And that team member who's been away has being an integral part of that. Tell 'em that feedback because that's going to make them feel great. They're going to want to come back. So it really comes down to that connection piece and feeling cared for, still feeling part of the team, the department, the business, even when they've been away.