It s time to unpack, and yet...it seems that the French don t feel like going back to work at all! Difficulties finding childcare, fear of the virus, worries about the future of their jobs... There are many sources of anxiety at the thought of returning to the outside world!

And that s without taking into account the "cabin syndrome" that has affected many confined people, who are deeply stressed by the idea of leaving their cocoon! While confinement sounded like a loss of freedom, for some it was also an opportunity to return to a simpler life, with a return to family values, a reappropriation of the home and less pressure from consumer society.

In concrete terms, this means a rescheduling of priorities. A retreat to safe havens. A desire to prioritize well-being and individualism.

It also means the discovery, for many employees, of telecommuting. According to a Deskeo study, 62% of French people now want to telework more hours. The company is therefore undergoing a profound transformation, which will be further amplified by the redundancies and restructuring that will inevitably follow.

HR departments are going to have their work cut out to motivate the troops! We ve already seen some of the imperatives they ve had to work on to enable employees to return to the company.

But to make them want to return to work, they ll have to go further. Here are 4 avenues to explore to encourage employees to leave the confinement behind.

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Capitalize on new ways of working

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The use of telecommuting will definitely be one of the revolutions of this confinement. For 74% of HR directors, this is a working method that will become widespread in their organization. And a great discovery for many employees! While some companies already had telecommuting protocols in place, others had to take the plunge into the unknown. And let their employees work remotely from one day to the next, without any support.

As we have seen, the French are now in favor of at least partial telecommuting. Itwill therefore be necessary to prioritize the project, by creating charters of good practice and even negotiating company-wide agreements. And, of course, by reviewing logistics: schedules, equipment, processes, etc.

Human Resources departments also need to train teams and managers to manage remote teams. To provide a method, to communicate best practices, but also to break down obstacles and reticence.

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Accompanying transport

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One of the advantages of telecommuting is that it eliminates transportation time and constraints. And for some employees, this is equivalent to saving several hours over the course of a day.

Each mode of transport has its advantages and disadvantages. Public transport will raise questions, as it is a potential site for virus transmission. Individual transport, such as the car, is safer, but what about traffic jams in the months to come?

That s why the public authorities have pulled out all the stops to promote alternative modes of transport. In Paris, temporary cycle lanes now criss-cross the city, to the detriment of motorists. Every effort has been made to encourage the use of bicycles, which help to maintain social distance while preserving the environment.

It s therefore the ideal time for companies to mobilize their staff around this issue. By raising awareness, of course, but also by financing all or part of the subscription to self-service bikes or scooters. Making employees want to come back also means facilitating their use of "safer" modes of travel in these times of health crisis.

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Exorcising trauma together

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While many employees are still teleworking or on short-time working, organizing their return also means protecting them from psychosocial risks, after an ordeal that can turn into a trauma. The unprecedented, unexpected and brutal nature of the event, the uncertainties, the bereavements that may have affected some, the worries about the future...

To avoid collective post-traumatic stress, we need to get the word out and help teams to share their feelings. Here again, Human Resources departments have a role to play in organizing dedicated team meetings, debriefings on the crisis situation or even psychologist interventions.

To remotivate employees, having a role to help them preserve themselves psychologically is going to be a necessity.

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Get employees more involved

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If there is one success that has been highlighted during these 2 months of health crisis, it is social dialogue, which has enabled the social partners to find solutions despite the urgency of the situations.

To meet the needs of the crisis, numerous adjustments were made to labor laws during the period of confinement. Similarly, in the workplace, processes, spaces and safety rules had to be reviewed in consultation with the various stakeholders.

And to really engage employees, a very strong trend during this period could be systematized and amplified. According to an ANDRH survey, companies communicated extensively with employees to keep them informed of the situation.

In the face of the economic upheavals that lie ahead, continuing to communicate with employees will be an asset. But also, to go further, involving them in a consultation process, to define a strategy for recovery, could be a lever for engaging them on a long-term basis.

This trend towards closer links between the company and its employees is also well illustrated by a statement from Gérald Darmanin, the French Minister of Action and Public Accounts. He wants to make employee share ownership more widespread and simpler. To motivate teams, tomorrow s companies will have every interest in co-constructing new models with all their employees.

To overcome employees reluctance to return to the office, companies can draw on a number of solid levers.

Firstly, by enabling telecommuting, which was imposed suddenly because of confinement, to really find its place in the company s organization. And above all, to support the inevitable metamorphosis of the working environment that its widespread introduction will bring.

Secondly, by alleviating the constraints and anxieties associated with the use of transport by employees. Giving them easy access to alternative modes of transport could convince them to take the plunge and return to the office.

Finally, companies will also need to provide a great deal of human support. Firstly, by providing employees with psychological support, and secondly, by enabling them to get involved in the relaunch.

Once again, Human Resources departments will be at the heart of these issues, and will have a role to play in overcoming the reluctance of teams and helping to restart business.