Talking Communications Strategy with Alyssa Schlander and Todd Stone of Rapp Strategies, Inc.

In Minnesota and across the country, the return to office work among non-essential businesses has been slow going while the pandemic shows no sign of slowing down. Close to home, only one in 10 workers in downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul have returned to “the office hub,” according to the Star Tribune.

Since late March, Gov. Walz has ordered that non-essential businesses should have employees work remotely if they can do so without jeopardizing their business. The governor recently tightened restrictions in response to a surge in COVID-19 cases. At Rapp Strategies, we continue to adapt to the pandemic as we operate remotely in accordance to the governor’s orders and available health guidance.  

But with the latest promising news on vaccine development, there is a growing optimism that non-essential workers could return to the office by late spring or early summer. How that might play out depends on the organization, but it’s never too early to begin thinking about your return-to-office plan.

Todd: Hey Alyssa, I can still remember when we thought we could be back to the office by July. Now, I’m holding out hope for July 2021. Based on our experiences so far, what do you think other organizations and companies should be considering when weighing a return to office work?

Alyssa: No doubt there are a variety of considerations depending upon the type of business each company is engaged in, but the common thread for all businesses is the prioritization of the safety of employees, vendors and customers. It’s hard to go wrong by keeping the well-being of people your number one deliverable. 

Beyond that, productivity is always a concern for managers, but I think people have been a bit surprised at how well many segments of office-related businesses have been able to maintain productivity while working remotely.  Do you think the relative success of remote work will permanently shift the value of 8-hour days of face time?

Todd: You make a good point about prioritizing safety among those key groups. It’s critical that any organization to understand the unique needs and concerns of its employees. As you know, we have ongoing conversations with our staff about safety as we consider our protocols for returning to the office, though I don’t see it happening until next summer. 

To your broader question: Many employers are recognizing that employees don’t have to be physically present to be productive. Further, flexibility in scheduling and location can improve your retention and morale. As for Rapp Strategies, we will return to some form of office work, if for no other reason than we really like working together. With so much uncertainty right now, what are you thinking about when you look ahead on behalf of us and our clients?

Alyssa: Yeah, we do seem to like working with each other, and that’s a really important factor in providing great client service. I’m a firm believer that employees who feel they belong on their team, that their company values their contribution and provides the support they need to do their jobs well create far better work than people who feel disconnected. 

I’m sure we’ll get back to downtown Minneapolis eventually, but I don’t really think Rapp Strategies has been at a disadvantage working remotely because we’ve intentionally maintained our team spirit with daily all-staff video conferences, constant conversations on Slack, texts, and phone calls. Plus, we made an important investment in at-home technology for our team members. An occasional Zoom happy hour hasn’t hurt, either!  

Looking ahead, it’s important to be willing to let go of the assumption that the goal is to get back to the old ways of working. Expectations of both employees and clients have shifted and will continue to evolve. Reconstructing the old model without an honest assessment of what’s working better now is a missed opportunity. The ability to be nimble and willingness to adjust to new behaviors will be key for everyone. 

Todd: Agreed. And when it’s time to make the big decisions for returning to office work, any organization should begin by considering these questions: 

• How will you monitor employee health – physical, mental and spiritual -- while protecting employee privacy? 

• How will you enforce your “stay at home if you’re sick” policies? 

• How will you adjust your policies to accommodate employees who want or need to resume business travel? 

• How will you support employees who can perform work remotely and have physical or mental health concerns about returning to the office? 

• How do you plan to support your employees’ caregiving obligations? 

• Are you cultivating a culture where employees feel that their concerns about returning to work will be heard and addressed?

Alyssa Schlander is the vice president of public affairs and general counsel at Rapp Strategies. Alyssa has worked in executive external affairs positions in both corporate and trade association settings. She can be reached at alyssaschlander@rappstrategies.com.

Todd Stone is the senior director at Rapp Strategies and leads the firm’s media relations work. He has worked in editing positions at five of the 30 largest daily newspapers in the U.S. He can be reached at toddstone@rappstrategies.com.