Back to Work in a COVID World

These three strategies will make returning to work easier for you and your employees

- By Louis Carter

THIS OCTOBER, NEWSWEEK and the Best Practice Institute will unveil our inaugural list of “100 Most Loved Workplaces in America.” Based on the months of research that we’ve just wrapped up, here’s one thing these companies have in common: the ability to collaborate and communicate clearly with their employees. For many of these companies, though, that skill will be put to the test over the next few months like it never has before.

Of course, we can thank COVID for that.

Things were getting better on the pandemic front this spring and through the early summer, largely because of vaccines, until COVID threw a curve ball with the Delta variant. Despite the fact that infection rates are once again rising, many employers have still asked folks to return to work in person. This ain’t going to be easy.

Masks? No masks? Distancing? Not so much distancing? Vaccine mandates? Purell mandates? The transition will be dicey. But there are things employers can do, other than cross fingers,to make sure the transition goes smoothly.