Why You Should Conduct A COVID-19 Employee Return-To-Work Survey
Why you should conduct a COVID-19 employee return-to-work survey?
- It Shows Acknowledgment of the Situation
- It Helps Insight Collection
- It Helps Assess Your Employees’ Situations
The COVID 19 pandemic has changed the way people all around the world work. It has disrupted companies and businesses. It even led to some of them closing down. Probably the most affected are the employees themselves. Due to restrictions, they were forced to work from home and adapt quickly to the times. However, as the situation lightens, they are once again allowed to return to the office. That being said, employee return-to-work surveys are a must. It is something that brings about a sense of security that can only be given by proper health and safety precautions. Take a look at exactly why these surveys are so important.
It Shows Acknowledgment of the Situation
Making your employees answer these surveys shows that you are not turning a blind eye towards the pandemic. It means you know that going to the office during this time is dangerous and you want to know what your employees think about that fact. Of course, different types of surveys can be provided. Most companies would provide an obligatory survey regarding health and safety which deals with contact tracing and the potential of you having symptoms that may lead to COVID-19.
Some go the extra mile and bring out mental health and self-care surveys. Though it may not be common, it is something that a lot of people will be able to appreciate. Knowing that the company they’re working in understands the repercussions of ignoring mental health should make employees feel that they are safe both physically and emotionally as long as they work there.
It Helps Insight Collection
Surveys are data collection tools that are used to get answers to very specific questions. It can be a yes or no question, a scaled question, or an essay question—all of which can be used to get a different type of answer.
For companies, every response to your employee is important. For example, obligatory health and safety surveys nowadays would ask if you have been in contact with someone that has COVID-19 in a yes or no question. It’s simple but all the more important for the whole company so that they know if you need to be quarantined or be tested on something. It is a way to keep everyone in the company safe.
During times of pandemics, uncertainty is your worst enemy. You don’t know what’s going to happen next, or if someone near you has the symptoms of COVID-19. Surveys reduce uncertainty by a generous amount. Though most of the information is confidential and is only held by the management, they will do their part and isolate those who need to be isolated and care for those who need to be cared for.
These kinds of surveys are also very important for keeping an eye out for those who might not take it as well as others. The pandemic has already spread a lot of anxieties and uncertainties to people. Those that were having a hard time now have it worse. With surveys, you can have at least a glimpse of what is going on in their minds and you can approach them accordingly!
It Helps Assess Your Employees’ Situations
Lastly, these surveys help you understand whether or not your employees are ready to return to work. Most employees go to work just because they have to. That does not mean they are comfortable enough to do so.
Even if working is harder when they stay at home, it is still safer in these trying times. Of course, there are varying opinions on this matter, and that is why you must have this survey—to gauge whether or not you should let them work from home or in the office.
Bear in mind that the blood of your company, what truly makes it continue to function, are the employees that you should be caring so much for. As a business owner or the CEO, you must prioritize their health. Learn about their situation, discuss their preferences, and find a compromise if things aren’t seeing eye to eye. That way, you can make adaptations that consider both the business and the employees!
Key Takeaway
Employee return-to-work surveys are a must for businesses and companies that are considering allowing their employees to go back to the office instead of fully working from home. It will help management understand what the employees have been going through, their thought processes, and what they feel with this decision.
More importantly, sending out this survey before deciding on the matter will show that the company fully considers health and safety, as well as the wants and needs of their employees. It’s a great sign that a company cares for its employees, especially when the survey’s data is taken into account in the discussion and approval of further adaptations of the company!