Which are the ways in which companies can ensure the health of their remote employees while working amidst tough conditions? Here are some ways how…
With the Covid-19 pandemic spread across the globe, more people are working from home in 2020. Companies are changing the way they conduct their day-to-day operations and are switching over to advanced technologies for people working remotely. In this situation, it becomes increasingly important to monitor and ensure the proper health of the employees- both physically and mentally. This is yet one of the most difficult challenges for a number of employers.
A lot of individuals are working remotely for the first time, staying away from friends and family, in isolation. This daily life can cause stress, anxiety, and strain- physically, mentally, and emotionally- which might affect their productivity and affect their overall living. This makes it necessary to take care of the employee’s well-being and help them maintain a healthy lifestyle.
This blog addresses some of the ways in which employers can ensure the employee’s health.
Emphasize interaction and connection
An employer should encourage all the employees to support each other and cooperate in the new remote community. Do not leave it all on the individual employees to forge connections or initiate activities. Try to make these connections as a priority for the employees.
Encourage breaks and self-paced working
Allow your employees to work and meet targets at their own pace. Ask them to set their own deadlines as per convenience and stick to those deadlines. Make sure to promote taking short breaks in the middle of work so it does not become mundane and stressful as it can lead them to fall into unhealthy habits. Encourage having a healthy schedule. As an employer concerned for your staff, encourage your employees to take breaks routinely, go out for walks, do meditation, have a healthy diet, and take out time for themselves. The more you start involving the daily challenges of your workers, the more likely they are going to grow comfortable under stressful situations. Have some fun virtual games once in a while to keep up the spirit.
Provide access to mental health services
With the increasing stigma of mental health these days, make your employees aware of the services that they can avail in case they need help. Provide them with online anonymous talk spaces, where they can speak freely about their issues and seek professional help. Remember that no one wants to speak up about such things even if they are suffering from them. Make sure that these services are available at all times and maintain anonymity.
Have more one-on-one video calls
Having one-on-one conversations with your employees can prove to be extremely fruitful since employers usually don’t get time in the office to interact on such a scale with everyone. Additionally, video calls usually help more than normal calls since you don’t get to see them every day at the office, having a visual clue as to what the other person is thinking or going through can prove to be fruitful.
Balance schedule inconveniences
Once a team starts working remotely, there might be people from different time zones or running on a completely different schedule when they are not available in the office. This can make scheduling meetings a tedious task. Try to consider such time differences as much as possible.
Promote casual wellness check-ins
Remote working can reduce the instances of socializing that one has working in-office, which can lead to a feeling of alienation and stress, leading to feeling isolated and disconnected. Make sure that you casually ask your employees every now and then, how they are doing, what are they doing to deal with this lifestyle, and if anything bothers them. Show empathy and be available. Understand that employees are feeling overwhelmed and anxious about circumstances related to the virus. Make yourself available to your staff to talk about fears, answer questions, and to reassure them about work and other issues that might come up.
Recognize the impacts of isolation and loneliness
Working remotely can cause people to feel isolated, making it more important to routinely check in with your team. Loneliness can lead to depression and other mental health issues. Be aware of significant changes you may see in your team member’s personality or work product, because it may be a sign that a person is struggling.
Socialize virtually
Remote employees shouldn’t just communicate with their teammates with work-related questions. Encourage them to connect socially, as well. Start by creating fun channels on your company’s instant messaging platform to help employees bond. These are great places for workers on different teams to chat about common interests.
It is very important for an individual to remember that they are not only working together to meet targets but that they are humans who need changes every once in a while to clear their heads up and come up with innovative solutions. A change of environment, although not physically possible in recent times, can be achieved online. All you need to do is be a little more accommodative and keep moving forward!
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