Communicate With Care in Your Telework Policies

April 19, 2023 | Omar Khalid

The Pandemic Marks a Shift

For better or for worse, we’re all a little more familiar with telework than we thought we’d be back in the beginning of 2020. While occasionally working off-site wasn’t unheard of before the COVID-19 pandemic, our “new normal” has given us plenty of experience working from home. Despite the immense pressure of the emergency, the governmental public health workforce worked tirelessly to respond to the threat posed by COVID-19.

Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to how they work, with many citing increased productivity when working in an office. For some staff, their unique roles and duties meant that telework was never an option. However, data show that most employees with jobs that can be performed from home prefer to have at least a part-time telework option, and feel that their productivity is enhanced by telework.

Regardless of one’s personal working arrangement preferences, there is a tangible benefit of reduced commuting time, fuel and transit costs, and flexibility for small conveniences like simple chores and taking your lunch break in your own home.

However, almost as quickly as universal teleworking options appeared, they seem to be changing back again. With notable policy changes in the private sector fueled by a relenting threat from COVID-19 and stabilizing economic conditions, jobs that had been performed 100% remotely are now being called back into the office.

In the private sector—where the boom-and-bust of growth and layoffs are often the cost of doing business—the threat of employees resigning as a direct result of policies limiting or ending their telework is an acceptable outcome. But in public health, the loss of a policy that contributes to staff’s mental health and work-life balance—on top of already arduous working conditions throughout the pandemic response—could mean disaster for retention of exceptional and experienced public health professionals.

This worrying trend looms large, especially in light of the 2021 Public Health Workforce Interest and Needs Survey, which reports that 44% of state and territorial public health workers surveyed said they are considering leaving their agency within the next five years. To make matters worse, 80% of state and territorial health agencies reported needing additional staffing after the pandemic, as found in of ASTHO’s 2022 Profile of State Health Agencies.

How Public Health Can Proceed

What then is the path forward for public health leadership? Based on all available data, it would certainly be prudent to weigh the pros and cons of any telework policy change.

• Listen to staff and understand what they want. Ask yourself: Is it possible to hold a session with select staff from diverse sides of your workforce. Can you solicit feedback in another way? Try to understand current telework policies from the perspective of those affected. Do they live far from the office? Do they feel more productive working remotely? How will their life change as a result of a policy change? Leaders can’t always cater to individual preferences in the workplace. However, being aware of those preferences will keep leaders better informed, regardless of the ultimate policy decisions made.
• Be specific about why you are changing policies. How does a policy change advance your mission? For example, if you’re looking to better connect and collaborate with your staff, have you explored alternative ways to accomplish this? It may be helpful to consider ideas like dedicated calendar time for unstructured discussion, social events tailored to virtual and hybrid settings, or regular cross-departmental check-ins. In the end, your agency may decide that these alternatives don’t provide the best fit for your workforce. However, you will then be able to clearly communicate these decisions to staff.
• Weigh intended gains against potential negative impacts. After identifying the specific goals of a policy change, honestly assess any potential effects of that change. Ideally, this assessment should be based on input gathered from staff. What risks do the policy change present, which might not yet be fully realized? For example, will an improvement in workplace culture justify a risk to recruitment and retention for your agency?
• Explore ways to mitigate these negative impacts. Whether deciding to proceed with a policy change—or in cases where policy changes have been determined beyond the authority of the state or territorial health agency—that agency’s leaders are responsible for communicating and implementing the change. If full-time telework is not an option, is there an option for part-time telework? If all telework is ending, could there be an option for more flexible scheduling? Can you implement a grace period to allow staff to make arrangements to conclude telework? If these policies are beyond your control, are there other informal benefits you can devise to mitigate the impact of change?
• Communicate with care. The process of mandating a change in the lives of your staff is a serious undertaking that should be approached deliberately, and perhaps most critically in how you communicate the change to staff. Certain decisions may be beyond the control of the public health agency. However, for a workforce suffering from toxic and traumatic stress and moral injury, the simple act of communicating with empathy while honestly acknowledging the hardship posed by a policy change can have a critical impact on their morale.

From a staff perspective, an organization that cares about its workforce will take the time to communicate policy changes carefully and implement them thoughtfully. While the emergency phase of the pandemic response is ending, the public health workforce is still holding on to trauma and stress, while doing their best to persevere. Resources can be scarce, and policies are sometimes inflexible, but your communication style as a leader can have a direct impact—for better or for worse—on the morale of your workforce.