Businesses have called on their employees to return to the office as the country eases into the new normal under Alert Level 1. For millions who have worked from home for the past two years, this means adapting to new routines in the outside world.
Cases may be on the decline, but the world has yet to eradicate COVID-19, traffic jams, and the other difficulties you may have to face when you go back to on-site work.
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Keep these in mind as you prepare for the return to office:
Can you keep working from home?
According to the Department of Labor and Employment, people can still be allowed to work remotely as long as they speak to their employers and agree to a formal arrangement.
Under Alert Level 1, onsite work is allowed at 100% capacity provided that the workplace implements safety protocols like wearing of face masks and physical distancing.
While cases are on the decline, COVID-19 remains a threat, resulting in stress for employees who have been working at home for the past two years. Return-to-work anxiety is real and concerns can range from the possibility of getting sick and infecting family to relearning how to socialize with colleagues.
Millions have also recalibrated their routines to accommodate work and personal responsibilities at home, such as cooking, helping kids learn remotely, and other errands. When called back to the office, there are steps you can take to deal with the anxiety.
If working at home is possible for your industry or business, you can talk to your boss about it. It's important to let them know why you're choosing to work remotely and stay on top of tasks—proof that you're capable even if you're not at the office.
The workplace during a pandemic is also uncharted territory for executives and managers. Should your circumstances prevent you from returning to work or prove to be impossible, talk to your boss about it. Get in touch with HR and know company policies. Read our guide on how to say no when your boss asks you to return to work.
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How to commute or drive to work?
Waking up early to beat rush hour will also be part of your new normal. Under Alert Level 1, all modes of public transportation are back to 100% capacity for the first time in two years. This means no sitting one seat apart or waiting for the next train or bus because of social distancing.
Carmageddon along EDSA will be back, further complicating your routine. On top of avoiding crowds, you’ll have to stay in traffic—and in a closed space—for longer periods, whether you’re riding a cab or driving your own car.
How to stay safe in the new normal?
Shared-space offices may have to enforce one-seat-apart and rotate shifts to accommodate employees rushing in. On top of that, disinfection stations and temperature checks may be in place.
Masks will be strictly required. Testing, be it RT-PCR or antigen, may also be required to ensure the safety of employees. Here’s where to get tested for less than P3,000.
Going home, whether in your own space or in a condo, after work also poses risks to people you have contact with. Take note of the ways you can keep you and your housemates safe.
How to make office friends?
Pre-pandemic life meant interacting with colleagues daily, and making small talk by the photocopy machine or in the pantry. Team lunches may slowly make a return, and could drain your social battery faster than you think.
Making friends may seem hard in adulthood, and it’s been this way since before the pandemic began. It’s made even harder when we’re bogged down by the threat of a virus that has claimed millions of lives.
Still, it’s important to build connections as we ease into the new normal. Assess if your social life needs help, be it in making new friends or keeping the ones you have now. Check out our guide.