Many people have been working from home since stay-at-home orders were enforced in Houston and across the United States in early 2020. While working remotely may have plenty of benefits, it also brings a few challenges for employees. In fact, a study by software company Atlassian found the following:
- 42% of people surveyed said that they believed that working remotely results in a longer workday
- 28% said that the quality of collaboration opportunities worsened compared to when they worked in the office
- A majority of respondents said that they resent how their work has started to take over their home
With COVID-19 cases rising again due to the COVID-19 Delta variant, your employees will have to continue working from home indefinitely. To ensure their well-being, here are a few simple things you can do:
1. Walk the talk when it comes to self-care
Your own attitude toward self-care influences your employees’ behavior, so make sure that you and your fellow managers are taking care of themselves. Here are some best practices:
- Eat healthy. Having nutrient-rich meals 2 to 3 times a day helps you stay focused, positive, and energized.
- Keep physically active. Exercising regularly increases your energy, improves your sleep, and boosts your mood.
- Follow a routine. Implementing a structure to your workday can give you a sense of control and improve your productivity, organization, and focus.
- Set office hours. Working from home blurs the boundaries between home and work life, which can lead to burnout. Mitigate this by maintaining a regular work schedule. For instance, start doing your work tasks at 9 AM but stop as soon as 5 PM strikes.
When you take good care of yourself, you can take better care of your employees.
2. Identify the signs of remote work burnout
Remote work burnout is the feeling of being repeatedly overwhelmed, exhausted, and stressed out while working from home. There are many signs that indicate such a condition, including:
- Lack of energy or exhaustion
- Diminished professional efficacy
- Increased mental distance from one’s job
- Pervasive anxiety to do more work
- Constantly checking work notifications
- Physical symptoms like dizziness, headaches, heart palpitations, or chest pain
Conduct one-on-one meetings regularly to check in with your employees and see if they’re manifesting any of the signs above. If so, ask them what kind of support they need from your company, and work with them on developing solutions that can result in effective work output and improved well-being. You can also share resources with them on how to deal with remote work burnout.
3. Show appreciation
Employee appreciation is one of the best ways to show that you care about your remote workers. If your employees feel valued, they will put more effort into helping your business achieve its goals. Here are some effective tips:
- Give honest feedback. Providing feedback can help your employees push themselves beyond their comfort zone. For example, discussing a worker’s weaknesses shows that you want them to improve. Talking about positive feedback, on the other hand, can boost their motivation.
- Acknowledge achievements. Recognize employees’ achievements during your team meetings. This helps boost team morale and employee self-esteem, both of which can significantly improve company productivity.
- Send out thank-you cards. Compose a short message thanking an employee for their hard work. Write them by hand if you can for a personal touch. Alternatively, use virtual greeting card services if you prefer a faster and more environment-friendly method.
- Set up virtual lunch dates. Virtual lunch dates help recreate the pre-pandemic moments where your team can bond in the break room together. Give your remote employees an allowance to buy food from a restaurant that offers delivery or carryout. Then, have your team catch up through a video call.
- Offer learning opportunities. Improving existing skills can turn average employees into exceptional ones. Encourage your workers to join online courses and attend webinars that are relevant to their jobs to help them enrich their knowledge and perform better at work.
As your employees continue working from home, you have to ensure that they can access company data and programs properly. Safebit Solutions can help by monitoring and maintaining your systems round-the-clock. To learn more about how our company can help you, give us a call today.
