The road back to work: How employers can get it right

By KMC Human Resources

22 Jun 2020

coffee-cup-photo.jpg

After weeks of lockdown and with the majority of staff having been working from home throughout this most unusual period of time, many employers will now face a new hurdle as they start to bring employees back into the workplace. However, the route back into work isn’t necessarily a straightforward one, with several challenges for employers to overcome.

There are few employers that will have been unaffected by Covid-19. Whether taking the decision to lay staff off, reduce working hours, agree to implement pay cuts or take advantage of the government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme – aka furlough – decisions regarding employees are likely to have been difficult to make.

Throughout lockdown, keeping staff up to date by way of regular communication is likely to have served employers well. Whether keeping in touch with staff on furlough, or making use of technology to regularly speak to staff still working, communication is one of the fundamental backbones of successfully managing a remote workforce.

Communication will also be key to the next stage – as employers look to pave the way for employees to return to work. Throughout their conversations with staff, employers will likely have some idea of which staff are keen to return to work and which may not be able to do so straight away. Clearly, each employee will have their own personal circumstances and it is important for employers to consult with staff to see where the land lies.

Employees with health concerns and who are shielding, or those with children who have not yet returned to school, may not yet be in a position to return to the workplace. Where possible, employers should be flexible and be willing to make allowances for employees in these situations.

There may be staff who do not fall into the above categories, but still have doubts or concerns about returning to the workplace environment. Employers should think very carefully about their workplace environment and the appropriate measures to put in place to ensure the safety of their staff. Employers should be mindful of keeping up-to-date with guidance for their specific industry sector, or if there isn’t any, they should consider seeking support from an independent Health and Safety adviser. Any measures that employers put in place should be communicated to staff so they can feel more reassured that appropriate actions have been taken and their health is being safeguarded.

It’s important to remember that not all staff are suited to working remotely – some may have been struggling throughout the period – either due to distractions at home or simply because they work better in a workplace environment alongside their fellow team members. Whilst business efficiency is important – particularly at this time – keeping staff motivated and happy is also a big consideration.

Unfortunately, not all employers will be able to bring back all of their staff and in these cases, redundancies will be inevitable. The redundancy process is fairly strict and the rules must be followed thoroughly by employers to avoid any potential for comeback. Where some staff are being kept on in the same teams where others are being made redundant, employers should make and keep notes in relation to their decision making and any selection criteria applied, so they can justify the choices made should these later be questioned. The paperwork relating to staff going on furlough should also be maintained for a period of 5 years. This should be ideally linked to each employee’s individual file, be it in paper or digital format (software such as breatheHR can help with digital record keeping).

From a wider perspective, employers may not want to return to normal – either straight away or at all – and instead consider a ‘new normal’.  Companies may look at some of the changes enforced by lockdown as potential positives for their business going forward. Flexible working is often attractive to employees, so allowing staff to continue to work from home some or all of the time could not only help to retain existing staff, but also attract new team members in the future.

As restrictions ease and aspects of our lives return to a semblance of normality, the road for both employers and employees is likely to have a number of bumps yet to come. For more information on any issue relating to employment law as a result of Covid-19, please get in touch.

Latest news

1

Management buyout at Suresite Group Steve Holden

Management buyout at Suresite Group

17 Oct 2025

2

Meet the influencers who have generated £2m sales for one company Helen and Richard Chalu new

Meet the influencers who have generated £2m sales for one company

16 Oct 2025

3

WHN strengthens position in prestigious legal guide Daniel Long

WHN strengthens position in prestigious legal guide

16 Oct 2025

4

Warden appoints new commercial manager to strengthen project delivery and growth Peter Heskine

Warden appoints new commercial manager to strengthen project delivery and growth

16 Oct 2025

5

Stockley's finds its sweet spot Stockley's front view

Stockley's finds its sweet spot

15 Oct 2025

Background image for hub sign up block

LBV Hub

Leverage Lancashire Business View platforms

Post your news
Post your events
Post your offers
Build your network
Improve your SEO
Gain coverage in the magazine
Sign-up
Events
CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course

Preston Campus, Preston , PR1 2HE

09:00 - 17:00

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course

Preston Campus, Preston, PR1 2HE

08:00 - 17:00

Help to grow management course
Help to grow - barriers to growth.png.png
LBV Hub Seminars
26 Sep 2025 - 16 Dec 2025

Help to grow management course

Preston Campus , Preston , PR1 2HE

09:00 - 15:00

HR Essentials for pubs, bars and licensed venues
EventBrite NORi - 22nd Oct Webinar.png.png
LBV Hub Webinar
22 Oct 2025 - 22 Oct 2025

HR Essentials for pubs, bars and licensed venues

Online - Teams, Leyland, PR253XH

13:30 - 15:00

RISE - Lancashire's unique leadership programme for women
thumbnail_Emma Weston Illustration WENDY BOWERS RISE Illustrstion.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
22 Oct 2025 - 18 Mar 2026

RISE - Lancashire's unique leadership programme for women

East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, Clayton le Moors, BB5 5JR

09:30 - 15:30

Women scaling up Blackpool Fylde and Wyre
LBV Hub Seminars
22 Oct 2025 - 09 Jan 2026

Women scaling up Blackpool Fylde and Wyre

The Small Business Academy, Blackpool, FY4 5JX

09:30 - 15:30

Chamber Business Lunch – October
LBV Hub Networking
24 Oct 2025 - 24 Sep 2025

Chamber Business Lunch – October

Lancaster Golf Club, Lancaster, LA2 0AJ

11:00 - 13:30

North West Business Expo 2025
https---cdn.evbuc.com-images-880456273-4862066883-1-original.20241022-105445.jpeg.jpg
LBV Hub Exhibitions
24 Oct 2025 - 24 Oct 2025

North West Business Expo 2025

Bolton Stadium Hotel, Bolton, BL6 6SF

09:00 - 15:00

Lancaster District Business Support Expo
Lancs-cham-logo.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Networking
29 Oct 2025 - 29 Oct 2025

Lancaster District Business Support Expo

The Platform, Morecambe, LA4 4DB

10:00 - 15:00

Chamber Breakfast Networking – November
Lancs-cham-logo.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Networking
06 Nov 2025 - 06 Nov 2025

Chamber Breakfast Networking – November

Porsche Centre South Lakes, Carnforth, LA6 1FW

08:30 - 10:30

Lancashire Police business update with The Police and Crime Commissioner
Lancs-cham-logo.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Roundtables
10 Nov 2025 - 10 Nov 2025

Lancashire Police business update with The Police and Crime Commissioner

Lancaster Castle, Lancaster, LA1 1YN

14:00 - 16:00

AI, Creativity, and what it means to be human
2.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Networking
11 Nov 2025 - 11 Nov 2025

AI, Creativity, and what it means to be human

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

18:00 - 20:00

Advertise with us

Reaching 50,000 members, our print, digital and event platforms offer a fantastic way to raise your business profile and help you grow.

Find out more LBV124 Online Graphic
Subscribe now

Weekly news bulletin