Keep connected to staff while working from home

With the Government recommending those that can, to work from home, it’s important to be aware that for some people it’s not the perfect set up. For those people, mental wellbeing whilst isolated from their colleagues should be a consideration.

Home working brings the obvious advantage of no commuting and new technology means we can have more autonomy over our time, but for some, taking the routines of the daily commute and the workplace can have a negative effect. The feedback and encouragement that some workers receive from their colleagues can be critical to their effectiveness within your business.

Working remotely may also create pressure ’to appear busy’ or to be online and available throughout the working day. This can cause unnecessary stress.

So what can businesses do to help with the wellbeing of home working staff? Here’s a few ideas:

• Be relaxed about results in the first week or so as people find their way.
• Be mindful of the fact that Schools, Colleges and Universities have also closed, so there’s likely to be distractions they need to get used to at home.
• Give guidance on the use of remote technology
• Let your staff know that it’s OK to take a few hours out throughout the day and to finish at a set time
• Encourage them to create a work zone of space rather than work from the sofa
• Use available modern communications such as video conferencing or messaging apps like Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp to create regular team meetings, but also allow staff to use this media to contact one another throughout the working day, even if it’s just to give a colleague a friendly boost – workplace banter doesn’t have to just be in the office!
• Allocate a member of staff to deliver paper documents – just seeing a colleague, even with a pile of more work to do could be beneficial
• Let people come into the office alone if they just need a change of scenery

To find out more about Business Planning for Coronavirus (COVID-19) CLICK HERE

#InThisTogether