With more and more of the country opening back up, companies across countless industries are slowly returning to a “new” in-office culture. The end of the permanent work-from-home experiment marks the beginning of another era — one that will require a careful managerial touch.

For team leaders, this era will be littered with potential to-do’s and concerns.

For instance: They’ll have to create reasonable, employee-friendly expectations and timeframes. This is a pretty hot topic these days — the question of how work schedules will be divided between in-office and at-home moving forward.

Furthermore, it’s safe to say that managers might encounter shifts in productivity. As this office return is truly uncharted territory, it can be difficult to predict how different teams — and unique individuals — will acclimate.

Or what about potential cultural frictions? It’s not outlandish to think that company execs may find themselves juggling between newer remote practices and older in-office traditions.

And for our purposes, let’s not forget the importance of cultivating a warm environment — one that workers will appreciate, not dread, returning to. At some organizations, people have been enjoying home life from the comfort of their pajamas for months. As they venture out of that comfort, let’s make sure to mitigate the culture shock of a more formal atmosphere and make work feel… well… more homey.

Red Paper Plane has an impressive library of nifty paper gadgets to warm up any desk

As a manager, you want to welcome returning employees with something they can appreciate — something useful or eye-catching. A small gift that eases their transitions back to the workplace.

Over the years here at Red Paper Plane, as we’ve delved deep into the world of creative mailers and desktop decor, we’ve found that even the smallest gesture can bring out a smile. And this simple act of sharing a small gift that provides a bit of value or lightens the mood — the effects are tenfold in the context of a work environment.

And isn’t that the effect you want to make on your workers?

Just imagine being a worker who hasn’t been in-office in over a year, coming back and receiving something like…

● An appealing Pop-Up Pen Holder. This unique device comes as a flat card that then pops into place (activated by a rubber band) and stands as a cube that holds stationery. Meaning that it’s something people may very well decide to keep standing on their desks! (You can also feel free to add a thoughtful message or graphic on the many customizable faces).

● Or our Hexagon Pen Pot, which functions similarly, but has even more geometric originality — plus extra space for pens and pencils.

… If you’re that worker, this certainly makes a better first-day-back impression than simply being thrown into the fire again, right? We’d like to think so.

But if pen holders aren’t your jam, you can go up a level and offer a small gift of some kind:

● For this, our Fall Away Box is perfect. It lets you express whatever messages you want on its many panels, but it also contains a hidden well for goodies within. Think: Tee shirts, key chains, headphones, and any other handheld trinket. This box is your perfect multi-purpose receptacle.

And listen, we don’t mean to be cliché, but the options really are almost endless. Just as a taster’s choice, you might also opt for:

● Our popular Center Pop — a convenient, self-standing card on which to put info like important dates, workplace reminders, or wifi passwords.

● Full-on Video Brochures — with customizable inset screens that’ll play your welcome-back messaging right there and then

● Or perhaps our beautiful graphic Desktop Carousel — which… you know what? Words don’t do justice. Click the link and take a peek at that artwork, won’t you?

So if you want to make your welcome back to the workplace a little more… welcoming, we’ve got you covered. Feel free to give us a call at 860-469-3200 to discuss possible options and see which of our dimensional creations best suit your needs!