When working from home becomes life or death: Preparing for COVID-19
We want companies everywhere to get on board with remote work…but this isn’t what we had in mind.
Welcome to “the world’s largest remote work experiment:, according to Laurel Ferrer of Forbes.
The fast-spreading coronavirus is the last reason we want to be hyping up remote work. But alas, here we are.
2020 was deemed “the year of remote work.” More companies were projected to make true strides in shifting to a more flexible, sustainable remote work model.
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And this might still be the case. 2020 might still be the year of remote work. But right now, companies are encouraging their people to stay at home due to dire necessity, not cultural progress.
I wish the issue was as simple as why can’t everyone just work at home?
For starters, not everyone’s office job is that mobile. Many roles require special technology that is only found in offices or warehouses.
Companies telling their people “alright, go home for the next month, work as normal, and we’ll circle back then” also puts a wrench in people’s routines, especially those with kids or larger families.
And that’s another issue—parents might be able to do their jobs from home, but kids can’t learn from home, or complete their school’s (and state’s) learning benchmarks from their dining room table.
It’s a multi-pronged conversation. But for now, the issue is boiled down to this:
The virus is spreading, but the world is still spinning on its axis. Work still needs to be done and people still need to get their stuff done.
As companies turn to remote work as a potential solution to minimize the spread of COVID-19, there are some other, very real concerns:
- According to Workplaceless, only 30% of business leaders feel their organization is well prepared for the rise in remote work.
- Less than 10% of employees strongly agree that their leaders have the skills needed to thrive in the digital economy (yikes!).
- Before the virus volcano erupted, 38% of remote workers received zero training on tips, techniques and strategies for effective remote work.
Leaders like Tammy Bjelland, CEO of Workplaceless, are concerned that workers (and employers) are grossly underprepared for a last-minute, large-scale shift to remote working:
While remote work is a valid strategy to maintain business continuity in times of crisis like the outbreak of COVID-19, suddenly allowing remote work with no clear policy or processes in place will not have the same positive outcomes as investing adequate resources into preparing leaders and employees for success in a remote environment.
Is your company considering a switch to remote work until the outbreak is better contained, or at least managed? If so, what do you do if you’re forced into remote work?
5 tips to thrive in a remote work environment
While many of these recommendations can work for just about any remote worker, this scenario is quite…umm…unique.
As such, this is more of a short-term strategy. This isn’t the time to spend hours building an incredible remote work culture, or try new online tools that remote companies use for success. This is really to help company leaders adapt as quickly, efficiently, and painlessly as possible.
The less friction, the better.
1) Create mutual trust and empathy
At the heart of every successful remote team is trust.
Sounds almost too simple, right? It’s not. When your people trust you and you trust your people, good things tend to happen. Companies tend to grow. Cultures tend to strengthen. Oh, and productivity tends to spike.
And this isn’t unique to remote work. It’s at the core of good leadership for any organization—government, schools, non-profits, sports teams, etc.
All that to say, COVID-19 isn’t a month-long tropical vacation. It’s a stressful time, especially for workers living in urban areas.
The leaders of your team can empower you to do your best work by trusting you to do your best work, even during a stressful time, whatever that looks like. Tell your team leaders this! If they’re truly good leaders, they’ll listen.
2) Take stock of your systems
Think about the tools and apps you already use to communicate, even in the office.
Do you use Slack? Zoom? Google Docs and Google Drive? All of these tools are easily used in a remote environment (and they’re now designed that way, too).
This isn’t the time to experiment with new tools—just maximize the use of your existing ones.
3) Meetings are your friend (so don’t make them the enemy)
Obviously, not being in the physical company of your team means you’ll need to rely on digital meetings to get on the same page.
But (big but), I’ve experienced moments myself when meetings become overused and under-efficient. This is just as possible with a remote team as in an office.
Be careful that you’re only taking calls and scheduling Zoom meetings when necessary—otherwise, you’ll find yourself underwater with less time to accomplish tasks.
4) Check in on each other
Feelings of loneliness is no joke for remote employees. In a recent poll on our Remote Wing Slack channel,
- 61% of Remote Wing members feel lonely at least once per week (M-F)
- 38% feel lonely at least 2–3 times per week (M-F)
When you’re stuck at home under stressful conditions, not to mention limited ways to connect with co-workers you’re used to seeing every day, it can feel isolating. How do you combat this?
Check in on each other. Text, email, Slack, whatever. And not just to check in about work, ask your teammates how they’re feeling. Ask about their mental health. Talk about stuff outside of work.
5) Wash your hands
Didn’t think it would take a coronavirus to remind everyone to wash their hands, but hey. Here we are!
Stay in the loop with remote work. Join our Slack community through the link below. We’re all about advocating for each other’s good, especially when it comes to mental, emotional and physical health—even in the thick of a global virus outbreak. 👇
