Agencies have been working tirelessly to kickstart a return to the office that works for everyone. But as these plans come into fruition, we cannot afford to let mental health fall by the wayside.

After a staggering rise in burnout while we all worked from home, psychological safety was championed in our virtual offices in ways we hadn’t seen before. That made sense. It’s easier to put on a facade when we’re dialling in for meetings, so honest conversations about how we were feeling became key to protecting mental wellbeing. But there’s a risk this could dip as we plan our return to the office.

While businesses like Nike and Bumble gave teams a week off to recuperate after such a turbulent year and a half, agencies’ pledges and programmes must be accessible every day - long after the pandemic - if they’re to protect the mental health of teams and retain talent. 

It’s not enough to just be keeping our heads above water at work. Employees need to feel they’re thriving - and wellbeing lies at the crux of this.

A return to the office that works for everyone

The London Underground is already apparently ‘halfway back to normal’ as more commuters head back to offices. And although many of us have craved the off-the-cuff conversations that happen in the workplace and the line separating work and home that our journeys offer, a sizeable chunk of the workforce is still worried.

It’s not just out of fear of catching the virus. The sudden ramping up of face-to-face conversations - whether that be with colleagues, in client meetings or in-person pitches - can be draining for some. While it’s tempting to yearn for the ‘golden age’ of the office, we do also need to bear in mind that not everyone shares this view. Working from home has offered much-needed respite for those who aren’t naturally extroverted.

With such a range of emotions towards returning to the office, agencies are best advised to lead with flexible ‘give it a go’ initiatives. Leaders can encourage wholesale back to work policies, but they should also ensure that these are conducted within the context of an open dialogue with teams. If a member of staff is nervous about the commute, giving them the option to spend some of their working week at home unlocks psychological safety.

But this isn’t to say that WFH should be entirely ad hoc. In order to draw the most from working in the office, teams need to coordinate their schedules. Days that require collaboration, like brainstorming and client meetings, are office-based. But staff who need time to focus on strategy and planning should have the option to work from home.

Agencies can’t afford to be tokenistic

The pandemic must be the catalyst for a long-term mental health overhaul at work. Wellbeing goes far beyond where we’re physically based, so agencies need to be armed with initiatives that will be sustainable beyond the initial return-to-work phase. 

This starts with empathetic, honest conversations. During this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week, OMG’s mental fitness initiative, OMG Minds, launched podcast episodes and open letters to encourage teams to open up about how they were feeling. 

But the next challenge has been making this stick. Colleagues can now block out time in their diaries for self-care. This gives them space to speak to one of the team’s qualified Mental Health First Aiders (MHFAs) to talk through the issues they’re facing and how we can work through them collaboratively.

The benefits of MHFAs in the office go beyond providing safe spaces to be emotionally open. Employees can also use sessions to give feedback on what does - and doesn’t - work for them. For instance, while a neurodivergent colleague might struggle with particular noises and is better suited to working in a different space in the office, another may prefer to come in when public transport is least busy. 

Agencies that dedicate time to addressing these unique needs will be best placed to protect and retain staff. A blanket approach to mental health will never succeed because the challenges we each face are so personal. 

Transparency is key and decisions on something as emotive as the return to the office need to be guided by staff consultation, rather than imposed. Every business will have a unique set of guidelines on factors like social distancing and wearing masks away from desks. Opinions will differ person-to-person so leaders need to start discussions well in advance to ensure employees feel listened to and safe.

Agencies are scrambling to build in structures that work for all long-term, but the truth is there are still many variables. We can’t yet be sure if the government will change their guidance or impose another lockdown. The best approach agencies can take for now is to be empathetic and open to the individual needs of colleagues. 

The hybrid model needs to work for everyone, the business and staff alike. A culture of open conversation will help to identify potential mental health challenges before they become a bigger issue. Actually, that can’t be diminished as being too ‘soft’ an approach, an agency is only as good as its people so this is simply good business sense.