Many people find themselves continuing to work from home as the pandemic continues and it is now around a year that businesses and employees have had to adapt to this new way of working. While there certainly are perks for both parties, there are also some employees that might be struggling in terms of having a proper set up, being able to separate home and work and feeling disconnected from colleagues.
Communication
It is down to the employer to make sure that employees feel satisfied and content when it comes to working remotely and this can be a challenge, especially when many do not have experience of managing remote teams. One of the most important steps to take is to make sure that communication is kept open at all times and that you check in from time to time to see how they are doing and if there is anything that you could be doing to improve their situation.
Staying Connected
Additionally, a major issue that many are finding with remote work is that it is easy to feel isolated (especially when there are restrictions in place as to what you can do in your free time). This is why it is so important for businesses to hold regular meetings over Zoom, including informal chats so that everyone can catch up and feel connected to one another. Additionally, videoconferencing is particularly useful for important messaging as sometimes misunderstandings can occur when communicating only through email or text.
Preventing Issues
Businesses will want to do all that they can to support staff during this challenging period and this is for a few reasons. Obviously, you want your staff to be happy and to be able to work to their full potential each day, but you could find that they seek employment law services if they become too disconcerted with the level of employer help so you will want to avoid this at all possible costs.
The Future
Looking ahead, it seems that many businesses plan to continue with remote work at least on a part-time basis. This is because it can benefit both parties, but in order to get the most out of remote work and to keep staff happy, you need to consider the key challenges and how you can overcome them. Supporting employees is one of these challenges, so you need to think about the best possible ways to look after them and help them to get the most out of WFH.
While some are thriving with remote work, there are some employees that might be struggling and as an employer, you will want to do all that you can to support your entire workforce. Communication is key, so make sure that you stay in touch and provide the best possible support to those that need it.
