july2021 - 12

THE LEADERSHIP ADVISOR
How to Create a Comfortable
Return to the Office
MANY FIRMS ARE returning to in-person work, but it's not so simple as flipping a switch
and going back to normal. You have to be mindful of your customers' and clients' needs
and desires to create the safest and most agreeable experience for all.
When the CDC released its guidelines
for fully vaccinated people at the
end of May, it felt like the end of a long
chapter of changing regulations and
imperfect information about whether
offices should be open. Now, it seems,
we are in a place where we will only be
moving forward, rather than having
to experience another shutdown. But
an easing of restrictions isn't the same
thing as going back to normal as we
knew it before the pandemic. To make
a return to in-office work successful,
you can't throw caution to the wind
and attempt to reinstate all of your
old policies. Instead, you have to listen
to your team members and clients
before devising a strategy that works
for everyone.
In a perfect world, your entire
team would be vaccinated and eager
to get back to working in the office
every day. For the vast majority of
firms out there, that simply won't be
the case. Do your people actually want
to be in the office for 40 hours? Would
they prefer to wear masks regardless
of what the guidelines say? Will some
of them decide not to get the vaccine?
These are the kinds of questions you
need to consider before welcoming
everyone back. I've discussed reopening
before, but now the question isn't
whether to reopen; it's when and how
best to do it. While the answers to that
will be different for every firm, there
are some best practices you can adopt
in order to find the individual solution
that suits your business and people.
GAUGE EMPLOYEE
COMFORT AND INTEREST
Mandating a date for a full return
to work may seem like the surest
way to rip off the band-aid of
pandemic-era regulations, but it's
neither advisable nor what most
workers want to have happen. In
a situation like the one we're in,
you're much better served to dip a
toe or two in the water before diving
in. Even better is to ask your team
members if they are prepared to
return, to what degree they want
to return, and what rules they want
to have in place before doing so.
The easiest and best way to
understand where they're at is,
of course, to ask them. Creating
a survey will allow you to assess
where your team is at in terms of
enthusiasm to and identify what
people are worried about. Some
may want mask rules within the
office, while others will not want to
be in the office if they have to wear
a mask. You probably won't be able
to make a policy that is everyone's
ideal set of rules, but you're much
better off if you know where people
stand before trying to devise a plan.
RELY ON HYBRIDITY
If there's one thing we've learned
over the past year-and-a-half, it's
that we can get our work done
remotely. It may not be optimal,
it may involve a Zoom faux pas or
two, but if circumstances dictate,
we don't need to be in the office
to fulfill our roles as accounting
professionals. With that knowledge,
you can lean on the fact that not
everyone has to be in the office all
the time. You can leverage hybrid
work practices in order to both test
policies and allow people to work in
the way that's best for them.
It's not a bad idea to designate
12 JULY 2021 ■ www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com
AMY VETTER, CPA.CITP, CGMA
Mindful Technologist &
Keynote Speaker
@AmyVetterCPA
a pilot group to return to the office
first, followed by allowing everyone
back at once. Relearning the
rhythms of an in-office day will be
difficult and come with some awkwardness.
You'll have to iron out a
few kinks before you are certain of
best practices. Similarly, you may
find that one or more team members
will prefer to remain remote for
the foreseeable future. How you'll
approach these situations is up to
you, but remember that you can use
in-office and remote work together;
it doesn't have to be all or nothing.
The same goes for clients. Many
will be happy to never set foot in
your office again, whether for safety
or simple convenience. Online
meetings are here to stay, and you
can utilize them even if your entire
team is in the office.
CHANGE COURSE
IF YOU HAVE TO
Nobody is saying you have to get
reopening 100 percent right the first
time. If you adopt a certain policy
and find it's making employees
uneasy, you can and should alter
your plans. We're all doing this for
the first time, so it's impossible to
foresee every potential sticking
point. Over the past year, you've
probably changed strategies several
times. Don't be afraid to keep doing
so until you find one that fits. ■
http://www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com
july2021

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