Weber Shandwick & United Minds Release Playbook for Navigating Return to Office 

Despite a recent spike of COVID-19 diagnoses, particularly in areas with low vaccination rates, business leaders are cautiously moving to implement return to workplace plans for employees who worked remotely throughout the pandemic.

Weber Shandwick & United Minds Release Playbook for Navigating Return to Office

To help companies navigate emerging complexities around this next phase of the pandemic, Weber Shandwick and United Minds has published a playbook with best practices and resources for organizations of any size. Plan Vx – A Playbook for the Business Response to COVID-19 Vaccinations, Edition II: Return to Office addresses the continuing efforts to protect employees through COVID-19 vaccinations and shares key considerations for employers in supporting a safe and effective return to the workplace. It follows the March 2021 edition focused on the important role the private sector can play in advocating for vaccinations.

 

“As companies begin to bring employees back to the office amidst the rise of a new variant, they will encounter varying levels of comfort, attitudes and understanding around new policies and procedures – and in many cases a company culture in the midst of significant transformation,” said Kate Bullinger, CEO, United Minds. “While returning to in-person work can inspire excitement and hope, it can also be a source of anxiety and confusion for staff and customers as the status of the pandemic continues to evolve, and as they adjust to a new ‘normal’ – making consistency and transparency around planned changes ever more important.”

 

The Plan Vx Edition II playbook includes a synthesis of ongoing vaccine efforts and drivers of vaccine hesitancy, guidance for reducing anxiety around returning to in-person work, examples of work models companies are testing as they return, and considerations for evolving the employee experience to meet new employee expectations.

Even as Americans broadly return to normalcy, virus variants and low vaccination rates in some parts of the U.S. present continued challenges for businesses to consider as they shift back to the workplace. Transparent, timely communications – informed by the latest public health guidance – will be paramount in getting employees back to offices safely and successfully.

Pam Jenkins

President, Global Public Affairs and head of practice and sector integration for North America, Weber Shandwick.

For more information and to download the playbook, visit here.