One piece of return to office logistics that should be on everyone’s radar is a return to office questionnaire. A poll conducted prior to the pandemic revealed that 90% of workers have gone to work sick1. It’s safe to say; many folks have changed their stance on entering the workplace when feeling under the weather. Asking employees to assess their physical health before coming to work is also something most businesses have never even dreamt of doing until now.
The return to office questionnaire is something you can do to help ensure the health and wellness of your team proactively. 40% of workers polled said one of their biggest concerns of going back to the office is not knowing if someone in the building is sick2. Incorporating a wellness questionnaire for employees to complete before coming back to the office can help with these concerns while keeping employees safe.
Since this is a new concept and there is a lot of information on the internet, where do you even start?
Review sample wellness questionnaires
You, like many others, are trying to find quality examples of what questions are suitable to ask your team prior to them coming back to the office. There are some great lists that have been compiled by organizations like OSHA and the CDC that can guide you as you build out your company’s questionnaire.
Choose a medium for employees to access and complete their questionnaires
When deciding how you want to publish and collect responses for your wellness questionnaire, it’s important to choose how you share it. Is there a preferred method of communication within your organization that would cause better adoption? Whether it’s email, intranet, employee app, or messaging – choose the medium that works best for your team so adopting this new step is easier for them.
Set clear expectations
Prior to launching your wellness questionnaire to employees, have clear guidelines in place. It is suggested that questionnaires are completed the same day an employee plans to enter the office. Make sure the protocol is clearly spelled out and easy to follow.
Ensure privacy
Making sure your questionnaire is secure and your employee entries are confidential is extremely important. Sharing health information can be sensitive, and being respectful of each person’s privacy should be a top priority. Those receiving the results of the questionnaire should treat all responses with care.
Have on-site screening available
There might be an instance where an employee was unable to complete their questionnaire prior to coming to the office. Making the questionnaire available in the lobby or at the employee entrance can help ensure each person entering the building has completed their wellness check. This also makes it possible to use it with any visitors that may be entering the building.
Implementing a new process like a wellness check will take some extra effort to adopt with your team. Make sure this process is well communicated to your employees so they are well informed and can ask questions.
Cheers to keeping your office healthy and safe for your employees!
- CNBC, Nov. 3, 2019, “A sobering stat during coronavirus fears—90% of employees admit they have gone to work when sick”
- Wakefield Research, Sept. 1, 2020, Return to Work Survey
