Table of contents
Hamburger menu icon

A guide to returning to a newly imagined workplace

By Ashira Gobrin
Reviewed by
September 16, 2020
5 minutes read

Every webinar we listen to and article we read starts with “These are unprecedented times…”. We all know this—the real issue is, what do we do about it? There is so much complexity in navigating an environment that is volatile, unpredictable, complex and ambiguous without a playbook. The truth is no one has done this before, and it is unprecedented. Without guidance from people with previous expertise, business leaders must suddenly become experts in public health and safety, mental health, and corporate communications–just to name a few.

A lot of time and attention has been devoted to figuring out how to reopen our office. And given the complexity of the topic, I’d like to share some of the thinking that we used at Wave. Our hope is to provide you with tools and possible solutions to help you formulate your own Return to the Workplace plan.

starter
Plan
starter
Plan
$0
pro
Plan
$16USD
$20CAD/mo
Option to accept online payments
Starting at
2.9% + $0.60
per credit card transaction
Starting at
2.9% + $0*
per credit card transaction
for first 10 transactions/mo
Unlimited invoices, estimates, bills
Add your logo and brand colors
Automate late payment reminders
with online payments
Wave mobile app
Unlimited bookkeeping records
Dashboard and reports
Auto-import transactions
Auto-merge transactions
Auto-categorize transactions
Add users
Live-person chat and email support
with any paid add-on
Digitally capture unlimited receipts
additional fee
Payroll
additional fee
additional fee
Hire a bookkeeper
additional fee
additional fee
Option to accept online payments
Starting at
2.9% + $0.60
per credit card transaction
Starting at
2.9% + $0*
per credit card transaction
for first 10 transactions/mo
Unlimited invoices, estimates, bills
Add your logo and brand colors
Automate late payment reminders
with online payments
Wave mobile app
Unlimited bookkeeping records
Dashboard and reports
Auto-import transactions
Auto-merge transactions
Auto-categorize transactions
Add users
Live-person chat and email support
with any paid add-on
Digitally capture unlimited receipts
additional fee
Payroll
additional fee
additional fee
Hire a bookkeeper
additional fee
additional fee
starter
Plan
$0
Legacy businesses
New businesses
pro
Plan
$16USD or
$20CAD/mo
starter
Plan
$0
Legacy businesses
New businesses
pro
Plan
$16USD or
$20CAD/mo
Invoicing + payments
Option to accept online payments
(and create unique links with checkouts)
Starting at
2.9% + $0.60
per credit card transaction
Starting at
2.9% + $0.60
per credit card transaction
Starting at
2.9% + $0*
per credit card transaction
for first 10 transactions/mo

Send invoices, estimates, and other docs:

  • via links or PDFs
  • automatically, via Wave
with online payments
with online payments
Automate late payment reminders
with online payments
with online payments
Add your logo and brand colors
Remove Wave branding from footers
Add attachments to invoices and estimates (NEW!)
Create reusable message templates (NEW!)
Invoice and estimate in the mobile app
Accounting
Unlimited bookkeeping records
Auto-import bank transactions
Auto-merge and categorize transactions
Add users to your business
businesses already auto-importing bank transactions and/or that already have users added to their businesses as of May 1, 2024
Digitally capture unlimited receipts
with receipts add-on
with receipts add-on
Manage accounting transactions in the mobile app and sync with desktop (NEW!)
with receipts add-on
with receipts add-on
Other Wave features
Dashboard and reports
Live-person chat + email support
with any optional add-on
with any optional add-on
Optional add-ons
Receipts
nothing changes
additional fee
included
Payroll
nothing changes
additional fee
additional fee
Advisors
nothing changes
additional fee
additional fee
Invoicing + payments
Option to accept online payments
(and create unique links with checkouts)
Starting at
2.9% + $0.60
per credit card transaction
Starting at
2.9% + $0.60
per credit card transaction
Starting at
2.9% + $0*
per credit card transaction for first 10 transactions/mo
Send invoices, estimates, and other docs via links or PDFs
Send invoices, estimates, and other docs automatically, via Wave
with online payments
with online payments
Automate late payment reminders
with online payments
with online payments
Add your logo and brand colors
Remove Wave branding from footers
Add attachments to invoices and estimates (NEW!)
Create reusable message templates (coming NEW!)
Invoice and estimate in the mobile app
Accounting
Unlimited bookkeeping records
Auto-import, -merge, and -categorize bank transactions
businesses already auto-importing bank transactions and/or that already have users added to their businesses as of May 1, 2024
Add users to your business
businesses already auto-importing bank transactions and/or that already have users added to their businesses as of May 1, 2024
Digitally capture unlimited receipts
with receipts add-on
with receipts add-on
Manage accounting transactions in the mobile app and sync with desktop (NEW!)
with receipts add-on
with receipts add-on
Other Wave features
Dashboard and reports
Live-person chat + email support
with any optional add-on
with any optional add-on
Optional add-ons
Receipts
nothing changes
additional fee
included
Payroll
nothing changes
additional fee
additional fee
Advisors
nothing changes
additional fee
additional fee

*While subscribed to Wave’s Pro Plan, get 2.9% + $0 (Visa, Mastercard, Discover) and 3.4% + $0 (Amex) per transaction for the first 10 transactions of each month of your subscription, then 2.9% + $0.60 (Visa, Mastercard, Discover) and 3.4% + $0.60 (Amex) per transaction. Discover processing is only available to US customers. See full terms and conditions for the US and Canada. See Wave’s Terms of Service for more information.

Download Wave's Return to the Workplace Playbook

This playbook will give you the tools to get back into the office safely and efficiently

Download Now

But first, some of you may be wondering why we’re bothering at all? Why don’t we just work from home until there is no more COVID-19? It’s important to remember everyone is managing through this unusual situation in different ways. Most companies, small and large, have sent surveys to their employees, and a trend seems to be emerging. A large group of people (approximately 60%-65%) have adjusted well after some initial discomfort; however, this is not their preferred way to live or work. This group would enjoy the flexibility of coming into the office 2-3 days a week and working from home the rest of the time. A smaller group (approximately 15%-20%) have truly embraced this change and find it liberating to work from home. This group likely won’t want much to change when things return to normal. But there is a group (approximately 15%-25%) who are truly struggling. For a variety of reasons, working from home full time is causing tremendous stress, anxiety, and in some cases even trauma. This group of people will be looking for support long after we get “back to normal”.

Many workplaces are focusing on overall survey results (80% of employees have reported being comfortable working from home) and making the decision to become “digital-first” by transitioning to a completely virtual office. When looking at the cost, time and effort of reopening the office for 20% of the employee base, some employers may not see the value.

But I see this differently.

If we recorded the bell curve from above focusing on the same group of employees, but instead looked at their levels of suffering, the picture would be very different. Unfortunately, the small group of employees having a difficult time adjusting are also the ones experiencing the majority of the suffering. Why would we optimize or make long-term changes for a group who have identified as not needing support? Instead, I believe we should be looking at the 20%–the smaller subset of employees who are at home trying to cope with 80% of the suffering. By opening the office, those who choose to come in will follow the restrictions we put in place so everyone can feel safe returning.

Our number one concern is the health and safety of our employees, and we will not put that in jeopardy. Our decisions continue to be guided by information from public health officials, science, and data, and with that information we update frameworks and protocols accordingly. Similar to how we decided to gradually reopen the office, we only act when we feel ready and safe to do so. And employee feedback indicates our approach is working:

“The difference to my energy, demeanour and productivity being in the office has been unreal. THANK YOU for making this happen.” –Angie, Director of Risk at Wave.

For the foreseeable future, working from home will continue to be an option for our employees, which is why we’ll continue to support those who choose to stay home. For many, the reality of coming into the office presents risks that are too high. These include concerns about taking public transportation, commuting into a more populated area, having a high-risk family member or dependents, or caring for children without school or daycare support. We’ve received positive feedback from those who are deciding to stay home, including Neil on our Wave Advisors team who said, “Thanks for all the effort towards helping us be comfortable and effective no matter where we want to work.”

Wave’s Return to the Workplace Plan

We worked as a team to solve for the following five themes and created a playbook to detail our thinking. We’ve shared the playbook widely on social media so others can leverage our plan, but wanted to share the thinking behind it in an effort to help further.

#1 Managing fear and anxiety

Our world went from a safe place to live and work, to a place where every excursion was a health and safety risk for you and those around you. The number of COVID-19 cases and deaths were rising daily, which obviously occupied everyone’s minds. Simple chores like grocery shopping or visiting your dentist became difficult, uncomfortable, and eventually impossible with physical spaces shutting down. With time, we learned to step out and follow the new guidelines of social distancing, wearing masks, and washing hands regularly to safely navigate our world again. But for many, the anxiety has grown to levels difficult to manage.

Not only are we worried about our own safety and the safety of our families, but also that of our friends, colleagues, and strangers around us. The anxiety of possibly going into the office with an unknown and asymptomatic case of COVID-19 and putting others at risk is a heavy burden to bear. We needed to create a safe but friendly way for our employees to understand what to do, while also ensuring they feel comfortable doing it.

#2 Upholding health and safety

The health and safety of our employees is always our first priority. We were determined to meet or exceed all public health and government recommended guidelines, as well as act with the utmost caution when dealing with situations not outlined in these resources.

#3 Celebrating social environments

For employees who are living alone and feeling isolated, having the option to return to the office can make a world of difference. Similarly, there are people who identify as extraverts and are energized by other people, so just seeing another friendly face, or leaving their homes to go into a bright and interactive environment can do so much to lift their spirits.

#4 Simplify the complicated

Having too much information can feel overwhelming. We used a four-stage color system (red, orange, yellow, green) with a set of clear guidelines and restrictions for each. Red is a complete shutdown, green is back to normal, and orange and yellow have slightly different safety regulations. Following a colour system allows everyone to quickly understand which stage we’re functioning in and how to behave without having to constantly refer back to a document.

#5 Remembering we’re all human

Working in front of a computer instead of face-to-face diminishes the human connection we feel towards one another. We become less connected, share fewer jokes, and misinterpret abruptness for anger. Humans are built to be social and rely on social cues. We need to have empathy for others and understand some people may be suffering in silence. We need to be patient, kind and compassionate above all else right now. We worked hard to use humour, bright colours and themes where we could, to communicate, “we are still the same place you know and love.”

We can’t predict what the new world expects of us, but we have time to prepare as best we can. The skills we’ve focused on developing in ourselves and within our teams are now more valuable than ever: empathy, flexibility, adaptability, effective communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving. These skills will help us be ready for scenarios that may be very different from what we once knew, and we must reprioritize to focus on what is truly important. We need to keep asking each other how we can help and support one another. I’m ready to do my part—I know you are too, and I hope our playbook helps.

Download Wave's Return to the Workplace Playbook

This playbook will give you the tools to get back into the office safely and efficiently

Download Now
By Ashira Gobrin

The information and tips shared on this blog are meant to be used as learning and personal development tools as you launch, run and grow your business. While a good place to start, these articles should not take the place of personalized advice from professionals. As our lawyers would say: “All content on Wave’s blog is intended for informational purposes only. It should not be considered legal or financial advice.” Additionally, Wave is the legal copyright holder of all materials on the blog, and others cannot re-use or publish it without our written consent.

Create your Wave account today.

Let's do this