Working from Home: The Good, The Bad, and The Key to Success

Written by Arief Kartolo, edited by Lillie Sun & Christine Yip

With the end of the pandemic far from sight, it’s time to get used to WFH.

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Time works differently when you’re at home. While working from home is not a new concept, the outbreak of COVID-19 is causing many to work remotely for the first time in their careers. Canada’s Federal Minister of Health, Patty Hajdu, recently warned Canadians that the social distancing measures to combat COVID-19 is likely to last for months — remote work, as a result, will be the new normal for many in the coming months.

Remote work will be the new normal for many in the coming months.

Given this sudden and drastic shift for many individuals and organizations, we have a unique opportunity to test the benefits of remote work and experiment with a variety of virtual working tools in the process. While some might worry that work might not get done, research found remote work comes with a higher risk of overworking. That’s why it’s important we take care of ourselves and our teams to avoid burning out while working remotely. Let’s talk about the good, the bad, and what needs to be done to get the most out of this transition.

The Good: Working remotely could boost productivity

One study involving 996 employees over the course of nine months found significant improvement in production from those working from home. Specifically, the study reported an increase of 13% in productivity for those who worked remotely compared to employees who worked at the office. Other studies reported several factors that contribute to this increase in productivity, including:

1. Reduced commuting time = increased working hours. Canadians spend an average of 52 minutes commuting to and from work everyday — roughly 226 hours in a year! Remote work enables this bulk of travel time into productive working time.
2. Fewer interruptions. Research suggests remote workers are able to produce more effectively due to fewer interruptions from their colleagues and supervisors. They spend less time answering nonessential phone calls, responding to redundant emails, or attending unnecessary meetings.
3. Increased flexibility and autonomy. Remote workers get to decide their working hours, wear more comfortable clothing, and create a working space that is catered towards their needs and liking. They are able to control how and when they work.
4. Improved work-life balance. The combination of reduced commuting hours and increased flexibility and autonomy provides remote workers the access and ability to better balance their work, family, and social life. They spend more time with family, on personal activities, and are more involved with the local community.

The Bad: Working remotely can increase the risk of burnout

41% of the remote workers experience high level of stress, compared to only 25% of on-location workers.

However, without proper adjustments and appropriate style of management, working from home can be detrimental to an employee’s well-being, increasing the risk of burnout. According to a report compiled by the United Nations, 41% of the remote workers experience high level of stress, compared to only 25% of on-location workers. Ironically, it seems that the factors contributing to this increase of stress among remote workers are the same factors that contribute to their increased productivity. The benefits of remote work come at a cost, including:

1. Increased working hours. Research found many remote employees lack a healthy structure in their working schedule. They work longer hours, often working into the evenings and on the weekends.
2. Autonomy = Isolation. Studies found remote workers have less interaction with their colleagues. They receive less social support from their colleagues and have weaker affective ties with their organizations. Working with others and resolving conflicts that arise in the workplace become more challenging.
3. Blurring boundaries between work and personal life. Remote workers often have to juggle between work and home responsibilities. Many are not able to segment work from family; for example, many work late into the night, check emails during dinner, and stay online over the weekends. Additionally, many struggle to pull themselves back from their role at work due to the blurred cues that differentiate the work and home environment.
4. Increased risk of burnout. Many remote workers are constantly connected to their employer, which intensify the workload and demands. The combination of longer working hours, feeling of isolation, blurring boundaries, and self-imposed stress lead to an increased risk of burnout.

Strategies to Avoid Burnout while Working from Home

With the looming uncertainty of COVID-19, no one can be sure on when work is going to resume into its traditional structure. Working from home is certainly not for everyone. And most certainly, not every manager is accustomed and trained to lead a team in a virtual environment. To help employees and employers to adjust during this difficult time, we have devised some strategies to make the best of this situation.

If you are new to working remotely:

1. Stay connected. There are many platforms you can use to connect with your fellow colleagues and friends virtually (e.g., Skype, Slack, FaceTime, Zoom). If working from home gets too lonely, try setting up a virtual workspace with your colleagues where you can have your water cooler conversations while keeping each other on track.
2. Set and maintain regular working hours. One of the challenges many remote workers face is the self-imposed pressure to be constantly online. Before all else, you should set and maintain regular working hours on a daily basis. This is where the flexibility becomes beneficial for your well-being. Instead of following the regular 9–5 schedule, you can customize your hours differently; some may prefer working from 7–3, while others are most productive when working from 12–8.
3. Have an agenda for the day. Use a to-do list to organize your work and personal responsibilities. This can help you maintain a healthy pace, while keeping yourself accountable and productive.
4. Create a designated workspace. Designate one area or room as your home office. If possible, designate an area for your workspace that you can completely avoid when you are done working. This can help to create clear environmental cues to segment work and personal life. The last thing you want during this quarantine is to be constantly reminded of work.
5. Take uninterrupted breaks. I cannot emphasize this enough. Take. Uninterrupted. Breaks. Set 10 minutes aside every hour or two to keep yourself refreshed and motivated throughout the day.

Take. Uninterrupted. Breaks.

If this is your first time managing a remote team:

1. Hold regularly scheduled voice or video call check-ins. Do they have the resources they need to do their job? Do they understand their expectations and goals? Discuss progress, deadlines, key decisions, and provide feedback on task performance. But, make sure you are not checking-in every hour! You don’t want to micromanage your employees — this will dampen the trust between yourself and your team.
2. Be explicit with your expectations. Communicate clear expectations with your team members. Collaborate with your team members to set challenging but realistic goals. Prioritize focus on the output and results over the number of hours worked.
3. Maintain an online open-door policy. Be available for your team members online. Know their work schedules, and provide ways for them to contact you during those times to address any pressing needs and concerns that arise.
4. Maintain your relationships with your team members. Ask them how they are doing. Ask them about their families and loved ones. Hold “virtual parties” to celebrate birthdays or other important milestones. Remind your employees that, despite not being in the same physical space, you still care about their well-being.
5. Take time out for yourself. While it is important to focus on your team during these uncertain times, it is critically important for you to take steps to take care of yourself. Your work habits serve as a model for your team (e.g., sending out an email at midnight signals to your team that you might also expect them to be working at similar hours). Healthy work habits will also enable you to be more clear-headed, more responsive, more supportive, and better able to solve problems.

Don’t micromanage your employees — this will dampen the trust between yourself and your team.

The Key Takeaway

The upsides of remote work are clear — we can be more productive, save time on unnecessary commutes and meetings, and have the space to fine-tune our balance between work and life. However, in order to maximize these benefits, we have to be realistic and proactive about managing the risks. We have to draw clear boundaries between time working and time off, maintain quality relationships with our teams, and ensure we are communicating clearly. As managers, we must avoid micromanaging by trusting each other’s work ethic and ability to get things done. All are doable, we just need to flex our muscles of curiosity to see what the virtual environment can really do for us.

To help managers working remotely for the first time, we have published some helpful guidelines for managing remote teams on our website. Visit our Resources page to access them now.

About the Author

Arief Kartolo is a PhD candidate in the Applied Social Psychology program, with a specialization in Industrial and Organizational Psychology at the University of Windsor. His research focuses on intergroup conflicts and resolutions in the workplace; specifically, with conflicts stemming from cultural and demographic diversity, such as stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination. He is a research member at the Centre for Culture and Organizational Research, and has experience providing consultation services for both non-profit and private sector organizations.

References

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CBC News (2020). Canadians can expect social distancing to last months, health minister says. Retrieved from: https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1714230339801

Eddleston, K. A., & Mulki, J. (2015). Toward understanding remote workers’ management of work–family boundaries: The complexity of workplace embeddedness. Group & Organization Management, 42(3), 346–387. doi: 10.1177/1059601115619548

Eurofound and the International Labour Office (2017). Working anytime, anywhere: The effects on the world of work. Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, and the International Labour Office, Geneva. Retrieved from: http://eurofound.link/ef1658

Fan, L.-B., Blumenthal, J. A., Watkins, L. L., & Sherwood, A. (2015). Work and home stress: Associations with anxiety and depression symptoms. Occupational Medicine, 65(2), 110–116. doi: 10.1093/occmed/kqu181

Statistics Canada (2017). Journey to work: Key results form the 2016 census. Retrieved from: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/daily-quotidien/171129/dq171129c-eng.pdf?st=qr1th5t9

Tavares, A. I. (2017). Telework and health effects review. International Journal of Healthcare, 3(2), 30–36. doi: 10.5430/ijh.v3n2p30