THE STRESS OF RE-ENTRY

Since March of last year, I have worked from home, much like many of you. The bright side: I get ready in minutes. I schedule meetings without worrying about commuting. I get to pet my dogs or take a break whenever I want. The not-so-great: I miss my family and friends. I want to see my students face-to-face, have dinner with them at Fernando’s, and run fun simulations that allow us to run through the corridors. I am ready to host my students for “Cris’ famous wings.” The line between work and home is now completely blurred. So yes - I look forward to a normal life. However, am I looking forward to my office? Parking? Worrying about professional clothes? Rushing from meeting to meeting? Driving home in bad weather? Not really.

Some interesting statistics:

• The percentage of U.S. workers who shifted to working from home increased from 8.2 percent in March 2019 to 35.2 percent in May 2020 (Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas).
• In 2020, employee engagement increased (who would have thought?) and grew even stronger in 2021 (Gallup, February 2021).
• 54% of employees working from home in 2020 said they would prefer to stay that way (Pew Research Center, December 2020)

​As vaccine supplies increase, many of us are considering back-to-work plans. So here are my questions:

• If you were working from home and are now coming back: What excites you or concerns you?
• As an H.R. professional: What plans (if any) are you making for everyone’s reentry?