What you need to do at work as soon as MCO is over

By Mel Sim

Yes, one day you will be going back to the office...

Just when you’re getting used to working from home thanks to the MCO, the end is near (hopefully!) and you’ll find yourself back at your 9-to-5. The thought of this will either make you super excited to be back at your normal work routine… or kinda sad that you can no longer work in your PJs – but the fact remains that you need to go back to work just like you did pre-COVID days.

Having spent so many days #WFH, your first day (and maybe even week!) may take some getting used to but there isn’t exactly time for you to slowly ease your way back to work. In fact, we predict that things will get pretty busy and hectic once the MCO is lifted! Been sleeping late and waking up at 9am during MCO? Not when you’re back at work, my friend!

Here’s what you need to do at work as soon as the MCO is over…

#1 Make a checklist
Do this the night before your eventual return at work – what you need to do on the first day back at work. Organise this list in order of priority because let’s be real, you won’t be able to complete the entire list on your first day back as there will be a lot of catching up with your colleagues, clients and boss. Aim to complete at least half of what you have on that list.

#2 Ask how everyone is
You don’t have to jump straight into work mode when you arrive at the office; take the first 30 minutes to catch up with your colleagues whom you’ve not seen physically for a while. Ask them how they are doing, how they managed to get through the MCO – getting back into the whole work environment with colleagues is definitely the one thing we miss the most.

#3 Clear your email
You may have been super busy with life or household obligations during the MCO but now that you’re back at work, you can be 100% focused on work. So spend an hour to do some housekeeping matters – clearing emails, organising your work table, scheduling in meetings at work or with your clients. Doing this will get your head back into the game and you’ll be work mode ready in no time.

#4 Check in with your team lead
The first person to catch up with once all the hellos how are yous have been dealt with? Your superior. There’s really nothing like having a face-to-face meeting to really get down to work, even if you’ve been catching up over emails, con-calls and Zoom meetings. Schedule in an hour with your boss to get up to speed on what needs to be done immediately at work.

#5 Check in with clients
If you’re client servicing, give your clients a call to say hello and find out how they are doing. Then when all the small talk is over, give your client an update on where the project is at and what needs to be done to move forward post-MCO. Don’t wait for your client to call; take the initiative to do it first as this shows that you’re on top of things and gives them reassurance that you’re all ready to jump right back into work.

#6 Go easy on the first day
It’s not going to be easy to switch from #WFH to 9-to-5 in just one day. In fact, you can expect your first day (or second and maybe third) to be a blur with a lot of catching up. You’re not the only one who’s been in restricted movement; the whole of Malaysia is so you can be sure that everyone is feeling their way around work and trying to get back into pre-MCO work style. So go easy on yourself – remember to take a break or two to catch a breather; you’ll need it with all that’s been happening.

Also, remember to continue with social distancing at work and practice good hygiene! Read this to find out how you can practise social distancing at work.

Photo by Mimi Thian on Unsplash

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