One year ago, at the beginning of lockdown, most of us thought we would be back to normal in three weeks. When three weeks passed, we thought we would be back in two months. Then we thought the end of summer, then the turn of the year. Finally, we realized we would have to wait until the vaccine was rolling out and making a difference. Now, on the anniversary of lockdown, the country is beginning to emerge from the pandemic, and we believe it is time, with all appropriate safety measures in place, to begin reentering the workplace. Schwartz Sladkus Reich Greenberg Atlas, LLP, is hoping to lead the way by formally reopening its office.

Like most Manhattan-based firms, the 90 professionals on the SSRGA team commute to the office on mass transit from all over the region. When the pandemic hit we began operating from home, working double time in the initial days to quickly implement remote work procedures that enabled us to seamlessly service our clients. We immediately deployed communication technology, project oversight processes and leadership meetings to maintain full continuity in an environment of increasing flux and uncertainty. The courts were paralyzed; city agencies moved at a snail's pace; the real estate market was at a standstill, and people were scattered across the country, but we were able to continue advancing our projects.

While work flow proceeded smoothly, many other elements of day-to-day life required ongoing effort. It is easy to forget, but in the early days of the pandemic there was ever-present concern over the unknown; this was exacerbated by confusing and contradictory information from government and health officials. People's lives were disrupted and many important social support structures had been suddenly eliminated. We noticed the impact right away. Just because someone is in constant email or phone communication does not mean that they feel connected. To combat this, we conducted innumerable Zoom calls with the entire staff and groups of staff with no specific purpose other than to engage socially. Firm leadership also wrote daily emails highlighting different concerns that had been raised while providing reassurance on the future in an effort to keep everyone engaged. It worked.