How People Come Back to Workplaces During the Pandemic: three dimensions of intervention for new emotional performance conditions

Abstract

After months of lockdown, people returned to their workplaces filled with paradoxical emotions. The pandemic's endless duration turned the post-pandemic period into an indefinite transition that generated new coexistence conditions. This situation transformed work relationships, both physically and emotionally. Beyond cultural and economic diversities, international studies showed common patterns of emotional impact on people related to fear, hopelessness, frustration, and loneliness. The uncertainty permeated the subjective world of people, close relationships, and social behaviours. Consequently, workplaces also suffered the effects of these feelings on their daily dynamics. This paper identifies the emotional features of returning to work and proposes three intervention dimensions to manage these consequences. The challenge for HRD professionals is to create new conditions for this work environment, not only in the physical or health aspects but also in the emotional dimension. The quality of the emotions will define the possibilities of recovery and resilience of people in their work. In this sense, HRD professionals' leadership is fundamental in creating processes to address threats (internal and external), promote creativity and innovation in groups, and recover workers' inspiration and confidence.

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