Work from home coming to end, how companies are preparing for return to office

by Kara Duffy

Thu, June 10th 2021, 10:27 AM UTC

ROME, ITALY - MAY 13: Paola is seen as she works in her living room as her children attend school online on May 13, 2020 in Rome, Italy. The Perrotta - Repetto family is made up of Paola Perrotta, a 40-year-old press officer, her husband Mattia Repetto, a 42-year-old journalist, and their two children, 10-year-old Isabella and 5-year-old Simone. Paola and Mattia work from home in front of a computer all day, at the same time taking care of the children, who require online teaching for part of the day while the schools remain closed. As restrictions are lifted and some Italians are allowed to return to work, schools and daycares remain closed, leaving working parents in a difficult situation. This especially affects mothers, who, according to gender inequality studies, are more often caregivers in Italy's patriarchal society and must choose between their children and their careers. (Photo by Marco Di Lauro/Getty Images)

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — Your days of working from home in sweatpants may soon be coming to an end. As more and more people get the COVID-19 vaccine, companies are preparing to welcome employees back to the office.

As far as what the transition process will look like that’ll all really depend on the company.

Carl Gould is the president of 7 Stage Advisors. His company works with organizations across the world, helping them grow to the next level.

He says when it comes to returning to the office, he’s seeing a lot of companies opt for a hybrid approach.

“You might not be there Monday to Friday, 9 to 5. You may have staggered shifts and there may be a combination of remote versus in-person office work,” he said.

Rick Trapp is a project manager in Boca Raton. He says his company has decided to go with a hybrid approach for now but plans to have nearly all their employees back to the office by early July.

"Some people still haven't been in the office and some people kind of never left. It just depends but as people start to come back, it's good to see everybody again but you can definitely feel a little anxiety here and there.”

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Those feelings of uncertainty surrounding the return are to be expected as it’s yet another change for people after what was already a very challenging year. That’s part of the reason Gould says we’re seeing a lot of companies transition back in phases, gradually bringing employees back in waves, not all at once.

He says the challenge is finding the balance as some employees aren’t too eager to return.

“Employees beware. If I were you, I would want to go back into the office to demonstrate my value in the office because the more you work from home, the more you’re telling your employer that you can be outsourced and that your position isn’t as important in the office. So that means anyone can do it, anywhere in the world,” Gould said.

As far as coronavirus safety protocols, he says a lot of the companies he works with are keeping some measures in place, at least for now, like social distancing and frequent deep cleanings at the office.

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Masks will also likely be required if you’re in large group meetings, but these decisions will all vary company to company.

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