Since the Government first called on us to stay at home as much as possible, more people than ever are working remotely. While this move may have caused disruptions to many industries to start with, both business owners and employees are now reaping the rewards of working from the comfort of their own homes.
One of the most beneficial of all is the ability for parents to spend more time with their children without having to sacrifice their career. In fact, a study by Legal and General showed that the majority of parents believe working from home made them more productive, and nearly three-quarters would like to continue working remotely in some capacity.
While the benefits are clear, it’s vital that you as an employer are on hand to manage your team effectively regardless of where they work. Ensure they’re productive, happy and motivated with these tips on supporting your employees while working from home.
Stay in touch
First things first, you must keep up regular contact with your team – not just when things go wrong. It’s vital that they know that while you may not be sat in front of them, you’re there to support them with whatever they need. Host daily or weekly group meetings via the likes of Teams or Zoom – you can share positive news, check in with employees and make sure they have everything they need to get on with their tasks. Plus, it’s an opportunity for them to share any feedback with you.
Ensure employees have a good work / life balance
When working in the office, your employees will leave their desks and work behind for the day. This boundary is disrupted when working remotely, which may tempt them to work way beyond their hours to finish off tasks. While this may be necessary on the odd occasion, making it a regular habit can lead to burnout, causing employees to become stressed, lethargic and unproductive. Encourage your team to let you know when they’re workload is too heavy and check-in with those you notice are regularly working out of your standard hours to prevent this from happening.
Look out for their wellbeing
Speaking of stress and burn out, looking after your team’s general wellness is vital. While some people thrive working from home, others may struggle as they become more isolated. If you have any budget, why not send out a care package? This could include the likes of healthy snacks, tech or stationery to help them work from home. As well as this, host virtual events such as quizzes to ensure teams can still connect, bond and lift each other’s spirits.
Provide mental health support
Most importantly of all, offer support for the likes of mental health. Hosting fun events and sending out gifts is a great morale booster, but mental health is much more complex in the way it should be treated. Make sure employees know what help and support is available; this could be through offering discounts on wellness apps, paying for therapy sessions or hosting guest speakers who can share their own experiences
Keep your ‘door’ open
Keeping in contact with your team is essential, as is letting them know you’re available to support them in any way possible. While you may not have a physical door to keep open, having a virtual ‘open door policy’ at certain hours of the day is an excellent way to ensure employees find you approachable. Let them know when you’re available for a chat, whether it be about their workload or their general wellbeing.
How are you supporting your team as they work from home? If you don’t feel like you have been doing enough, start making a few changes to ensure your team are happy and motivated rather than stressed and burned out.
