The long-awaited return to the office is in the pipeline after nearly two years of working from home amid Covid.
While some employees are rearing to get back into pre-Covid office work, others are riddled with anxiety about the resumption of normality.
Although the decision to work from home will remain up to the employee, it was announced on Tuesday that businesses can deny a request to WFH for a vast range of reasons.
Georgina Lawless, Communications and Fundraising Manager at Mental Health Ireland told the Irish Mirror: “While we all welcome the news of further easing of restrictions, returning to work may impact our mental health and this will range from excitement to uncertainty and anxiety for some.
“It is important to remember that employees pivoted to working from home, which brought its own challenges at the time, particularly around work-life balance.
“However, this has since become the ‘norm’ or most.
“We would hope that employers consider gradual changes as opposed to any radical changes for their employees.
“Some companies might look at doing a phased return or a hybrid model. The most important aspect of any form of change is communication.
“Change is less overwhelming if it is planned and communicated early. This is less likely to negatively impact someone’s mental health”
Unlike fear, which is one of the stress responses to an immediate danger, anxiety is an ongoing sense of worry, and as Covid-19 can be quite scary to think about for some, it brings up feelings of anxiety for many.
So here are some key tips to getting back into the swing of things.
Tips to reduce this anxiety
If you’re worried about arriving and having to touch door handles and surfaces that other people have touched, Mental Health Ireland advises simply following hygiene measures.
“Bring your own face covering, hand sanitizer and antibacterial wipes. Ground yourself before entering by taking some slow deep breaths to reduce stress and anxiety.”
If you're thinking about the difficulties of sharing office space and common areas such as bathrooms and canteens, you should “discuss physical distancing and hygiene arrangements with colleagues and agree protocols.”
If you have the fear that other employees may not stick to social distancing in work, you should encourage a discussion on “physical distancing arrangements with your colleagues and agree protocols. Review how well this is working at team meetings. It’s okay to take breaks and step away from situations that are uncomfortable or put us at risk.”
Getting back to face-to-face meetings and getting used to new social standards and changes in policy and procedures will be a hurdle met by every worker in Ireland, and so Mental Health Ireland say you should “take some time to get familiar with the changes.
“Discuss and agree with participants on how to conduct meetings. Take some time before and after the meeting to ground and centre yourself. This will help to reduce stress and anxiety. Discuss the impact of changes with management and colleagues to help you come to terms with the new situation.”
Finally, if you're mainly worried about what might happen if you refuse to return to the workplace due to fear of getting Covid-19, “knowing our rights is important. Contact Citizens Information for more information or talk to an employment rights specialist.
“Discuss your health concerns with your GP (doctor). It is important that we mind ourselves and manage the stress we may experience around the issue. Be gentle with yourself.”
