Readying for Your Return to Work: Transitioning Back to the Office after Time Away
I am nearing the end of my maternity leave.
Parenting a newborn during a pandemic has been hard and joyful work, but (in my case) it has not involved adhering to a strict calendar of appointments and meetings.
The combination of lockdowns + maternity leave = a very chill schedule.
If you are in the same boat as me and preparing to return to work after some time away, then check out the following tips and tricks for (re)adjusting to work life. I hope these tips ease the transition for you and your family.
Get Detailed and Realistic About Your New Schedule
You don’t want to arrive on your first day back to work frazzled, late and sweaty from running from the nearest subway station. Knowing the flow of your typical workday reduces stress and sets you up for success (yes, I did indulge in a little rhyme there).
Conduct a ‘dress rehearsal’ of key elements of your day to ensure your expectations match reality. For example, if you check Google maps at 10pm at night, your office is a 20-minute drive away. But during rush hour commute, you are looking at a 45-minute trek on two different modes of transit.
Start with your commute because it dictates the rest of your day. Depending on how long it takes to travel to work, you can then determine what time you need to wake up in order to complete all the eating, grooming, exercising and childcaring you need to do before you arrive at work.
Know your office hours – and norms – of operation. Double check with your boss and Human Resources about expectations for staff arrival, break, lunch and departure times.
For more juicy details around office culture, meet with some trusted colleagues to get up to speed on the subtle aspects that are not likely to be shared by HR.
Food and coffee are essential. Scope out the neighbourhood for delicious beverage and food purveyors open during the day. Or better yet, bring your thermos and lunch from home to conserve precious budget!
Knowing what your schedule will look like in real world conditions and planning accordingly will help reduce your stress ahead of the big transition.
Start Aligning Your Current Schedule with Your Future Schedule
Once you know when you will have to wake up and get going for the workday, start adjusting your current, pre-return schedule to align with your future work schedule.
What does this look like?
· Gradually adjust your bedtime and wake up to align with those of a typical work day – and do the same for any children whose routines will be changing
· Lay out clothing for the next day – even if you are still rocking athleisure, it’s useful to get into the mentality of preparing at night for the following day
· Go for a post-breakfast walk to get in the habit of leaving the house first thing – also useful to help children prepare for the commute. You can even walk by their new daycare location so you know the best routes and typical travel time.
· Pack your work-time meals and snacks ahead of time. For me this includes breakfast, which I usually don’t have time to eat before I arrive at the office.
Hopefully these actions will lessen the shock to the system when the time comes to return to work.
Communicate Expectations with Your Boss
Connect with your boss ahead of your return to work to clearly communicate any expectations you have around flex hours and workplace accommodation. If this is a new job, hopefully these issues were discussed and agreed to during the recruitment phase.
Whether you are starting a new job or coming back from a leave, you need your boss’s blessing and approval for any unique arrangements you want to put in place.
For example, if you need to start work a half hour early so you can log off a half hour early to pick up your child from daycare, confirm that is possible.
If you will be attending a lot of medical appointments, talk to your boss about expectations for communicating those needs and making up for missed hours.
Existing policies may dictate what is possible, so make sure you have a copy of Human Resources guidelines and union policies, if they exist.
If there is flexibility – or no set policy in your workplace – have a specific proposal ready when you approach your boss.
For example: “I have a lot of medical appointments, and they can span 1-3 hours. I know about most appointments 2-4 weeks in advance, but some are booked on shorter notice. They are most frequently in the morning, so I propose making up for missed hours during the evening. Please let me know if you want me to track these hours somewhere. Also, would you like me to send you one monthly email about medical appointments, or reminders a few days in advance?”
Suggest a plan that works best for you, but also be open to making the process as smooth as possible for your boss.
Put It in Writing
If you do have special arrangements agreed to verbally, have them formally approved in writing. Maybe this involves completing an HR form or re-capping the agreed upon arrangements in an email. It is good to clarify you all are on the same page and have a time-stamped summary of confirmed accommodations. The written record may help protect you if issues arise down the line.
Example of such an email:
Hello Sharon,
It was great to chat today. I am excited to be re-joining the team. I can’t wait to see some familiar faces and meet the folks who started during my absence.
I appreciate your flexibility around my schedule. To confirm, I will be starting at 8:15am and ending at 4:30pm. I will make sure to let all my reports know ASAP that these are my hours.
Please let me know if there is anything I am missing!
Thank you,
Joan
Consider a Gradual Transition
If it’s possible to stagger your transition, consider this option.
You may find it more appealing to start with a two-day week, then a three-day week, then four, then back to the full five. You could potentially use some vacation days to do a gradual transition, but do be careful not to use them all up in month one of your return!
You Can Do It!
Returning to work after a time away can be stressful. Whatever the reason for your absence, you are an amazing asset to your employer and the world. Take this fresh (re)start as an opportunity to set yourself up for success.
· Do more of the projects and activities that you missed when you were on leave
· Tackle challenges that were previously trapped in cycles of procrastination
· Address, end or reset behaviours or interactions that previously were a source of stress
· Take on new tasks and build your confidence by conquering fears and getting some early wins
· Enjoy the social connection of engaging with colleagues and ensure you make time to speak with key connections
A Post-Script: For Those Dreading Their Return to Work
Transitioning back to work after a time away is hard and can bring up stress and sadness.
But if you are truly dreading your return to a workplace, it is worth understanding why you feel that way and seeking means to address the root causes of your stress.
Do you love your job but hate your commute? Then ask your employer if you can work from home a few days a week. Or start researching similar employers closer to home.
Do you love your coworkers but find the tasks involved with your job boring? It may be time to level up and seek a new role in your existing workplace or a new employer.
Are you recovering from illness or living with chronic health issues?
Ask for changes to your work environment or routine that will increase your comfort (e.g., standing desk, better desk chair, different computer set-up, lighting changes, etc.).
Are you anxious about facing cliquey or mean coworkers?
This is a tough one, and I won’t pretend otherwise. If you think your boss will be supportive, consider reporting the situation and requesting re-assignment or distance from the harmful coworkers. Can you take action or request protection under your employer’s established HR policy? If your boss and HR are not in a position to support you and help keep you safe, consider applying to new roles that will take you out of the unhealthy environment.
Are you returning after time away due to illness, bereavement or other major life changing events?
If envisioning your day-to-day life once you’re back at work gives you massive anxiety and feels overwhelming, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Perhaps it is necessary to extend your leave until you feel better able to return. Or you may want to work with a mental health practitioner in the lead up to your return and throughout the first months in order to develop strategies and scripts for how to cope and communicate with others in the workplace following a major life event or loss.
A post-script cannot do justice to these nuanced issues, but I want to remind you that work should not involve existential dread and fear. At the risk of being overly idealistic, I strongly encourage you to seek new opportunities and environments if you feel a high level of stress about returning to your work.
