SAP launches new programs to make returning to the office safe

Software platform SAP has launched a suite of new safety features to ease the transition back to the office.

SAP added a new return-to-work guided experience to their digital workspace, Work Zone for HR. The feature provides information and safety recommendations for employees heading back to the office. Additionally, employees can voluntarily share their vaccination status through SAP’s vaccine monitoring portal, helping employers gauge reopening plans.

Read more: 5 best practices for a safe in-person workplace

The updates are meant to help employers navigate the complexities of reopening the office more than a year into the pandemic. Organizations are grappling with what work may look like going forward.

“The latest updates to SAP continue to put people at the center of the organization,” Amy Wilson, senior vice president of SAP SuccessFactors, said in a release. “As organizations consider what the future of work means for their employees, HR is in a unique position to provide insights, guidance and leadership across the business.”

Eight-three percent of CEOs want employees to return to in-person work, according to a survey by the Best Practice Institute, a business development platform. However, those decisions hinge on a variety of factors, including vaccination rates of their workforce and the opinions those employees have about returning to work.

Read more: Employers must tread lightly with workplace vaccine rules

Just 1% of employers have a vaccine mandate in place, according to a report by employment law firm Littler. Instead, employers are choosing to encourage vaccinations with incentives and education.

“Employers are going to have to decide what strategy is going to work best within their organization in terms of mandating the vaccine, ensuring a safe environment and whether or not to continue to allow teleworking or more of a hybrid situation,” says Theresa Adams, senior knowledge adviser at the Society of Human Resource Management. “Maintaining an open, honest and transparent communication policy is more crucial than ever. HR is going to have a big role in educating the workforce about the vaccine.”

Even once workers are vaccinated, there is resistance to the idea of returning to the office.

Just 10% of employees want to return to work, Best Practices found. More than half of employees would like to work from home at least three days a week, according to SHRM.

Read more: Workplace flexibility and hybrid office options are in high demand among employees

Employers will need a strategy in place to manage the safety and productivity of their workforce now and in the future, SAP’s Wilson says. The SAP tools will help leaders navigate their choices and provide the most accurate and accessible information to their employees.

“When it comes to the workforce, the need to connect, support and empower couldn’t be more urgent than it is today,” she says.