Companies should consider appointing mentors for those coming into the office for the first time and establishing a common language for internal communication even if the external face of the business is multilingual, said Paul Sleath, CEO at global employment services company PEO Worldwide.

“To stamp out cultural biases and create a flexible working environment, managers should encourage open and inclusive dialogue about business practices and cultural differences,” said Sleath. “Have a return-to-the-office policy that works around time zones to ensure effective collaboration and continue to use technology such as Slack and Zoom. On a local level, it can be worth scheduling mandatory in-office days when restrictions allow in particular countries.”

So, what is happening around the world?

China and Asia Pacific

Within seven weeks of the virus outbreak, China was out of lockdown. Commercial hubs in Shanghai returned to work, followed by other large cities.

Companies were given comprehensive guidance on what to do and what is allowed. Technology has helped, too, including an app-based traffic light system showing Covid status of the area’s rates. Strict rules on cleaning in public areas, and the distribution of sanitizer dispensers, have also helped.

“The Chinese economy grew in 2020, along with those of  Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar and South Korea,” said Maggie Gao, manager of the Shanghai planning and marketing consultancy Emerging Communications. “The vaccination rollout has been different to other countries too, with individuals incentivized with gifts and loudspeakers playing in public spaces to encourage vaccination.”

Overall, there is a mixed picture across the Asia Pacific region regarding returning to the office.

In Singapore, 44% of those surveyed want to go back to the office, and in Australia it is 48%, with three days a week preferred. In India, 76% of workers want to return. This is according to a survey by workforce collaboration business Barco, which questioned knowledge workers in different industries and companies across the world.

Office occupancy rates across Asia in 2021 are already higher than for other parts of the world, said Raj Krishnamurthy, CEO at workplace technology solutions company Freespace. In May, 41% of office buildings in Asia had occupancy at more than 10%, up from 28% in January.

“There are several possible reasons for Asia’s higher figures. For example, its public health protection systems are more mature than the rest of the world, necessitated by the bird flu pandemic,” he said. “There are also cultural differences in comparison to other continents when it comes to presenteeism, while smaller homes in the big cities make it harder to work remotely.”

United States

It might be a struggle to get as many Americans back to the office as employers would like.

A Harris Poll of just over 2,000 workers reported in USA Today revealed that 40% of Americans would prefer to work from home full-time with only 25% keen to get back behind their office …read more

Source:: Digiday

Author: Aaron