Mixed Emotions
Readers Share Feelings of Anticipation, Concern About Returning on Site

Photo: shutterstock/ Pearl PhotoPix
Most employees will be due back on site for a few days per pay period by Apr. 10. In preparation for the “Big Return” to the physical workplace, the NIH Record asked readers to tell us how they’re feeling about easing back into a new normal business flow. Here are the first few responses (many of them submitted anonymously), which reflect myriad emotions, from excitement to anxiety.
The Record will continue to share the responses we receive, as employees begin returning. To contribute your insights, email nihrecord@nih.gov or visit nihrecord.nih.gov/ and click FEEDBACK to send comments anonymously.

Early morning at NIH. The grounds behind Bldg. 60 on the main campus look quiet and serene at around 7 a.m. recently, but some folks have missed the hustle and bustle of a pre-pandemic NIH campus. The majority of the workforce begins to trickle back on site gradually later this month, as 2 years of maximum telework ends across government agencies.
Photo: Michele Lyons
For the latest resources and policies on returning to work in person, visit: https://employees.nih.gov/pages/coronavirus/return-physical-workspaces-guidance.aspx.