Employees at home: Keeping virtual connections thriving
3-minute read
A shift in working practice?
2020 has given us remote working on a scale never previously imagined. The lack of a commute to and from the office is considered one of the largest benefits to employees, in regard to saving both money and time. Yet some of the downsides include a lack of an appropriate workspace, a sense of cabin fever from spending almost the entire day at home and a reduced sense of genuine connection with colleagues.
Data analysed by two UK-focused studies showed that:
Productivity remained steady. About 30% of employees said their productivity increased, another 30% said it had decreased and the remaining 40% stated that they were able to get as much work done in June 2020 as they were six months earlier[1].
Nine in ten employees would like to continue working at home in some form in the future[1].
The mental health of employees working exclusively from home had significantly lower levels of mental health than those who did not work at home at all. Just over 60% felt under strain or unhappy/depressed[1].
31% said that they struggle with loneliness when working remotely[2].
22% of employees named ‘switching off’ after work is their biggest work-related challenge[2].
62% reported wanting better technology from employers in order to help them stay connected with their colleagues[2].
A recurring theme
In a BBC article[3] discussing the merits and shortcomings of remote working, the founder of a virtual business school expressed concerns about remote workers’ feelings of isolation and loneliness, due to the absence of important personal interactions. This is a point reinforced by a US-based consulting company staffed entirely by remote workers. Before actions were taken to increase the levels of interaction between employees, isolation was the biggest reason given for staff leaving during the first year of operation.
To deal with this, some organisations have encouraged video conference calls for employees in the same department or of similar grades to have a Friday afternoon social call for at least half an hour and during the working day. Arranging time for employees to interact with one another away from solely business contact, boosts morale and subsequently the working environment. (Though, it is important to keep video conference calls to a reasonable number and length to avoid ‘Zoom Fatigue’. Read our tips to help beat it here).
Making home-working work for your business
It is important to remember that employees are individuals. A one-size-fits-all approach will not give the best results when it fails to account for the different strengths and weaknesses, motivations or difficulties that workers have. Making allowances for individuals, whether different start and end work times, allowing for more frequent breaks, an increased / decreased level of managerial contact, or more personalised feedback, results in gains from employees that far outweigh the original efforts.
For employees who are struggling with the current restrictions and working from home, a workplace solution exists. Research shows that the majority of people choose to speak to a caring individual before consulting a healthcare professional, manager or member of HR. Establishing a support network of skilled employees to help colleagues with a mental health challenge results in retaining talented employees, a large reduction in presenteeism and sickness, plus an increase in productivity.
Right now, connections are vital. Re-establishing employees’ association with one another beyond the work task-specific video call can be a great decision for the business. A happier workplace is a more engaged and more productive workplace. This applies equally to employees who may be struggling with the current environment. Creating an employee-led support network could be the factor that improves someone’s mental health and be able to work unencumbered once again.
Habitus specialises in providing practical, lasting solutions to mental health issues. For more information on how Habitus can help your organisation develop comprehensive support for your employees, click on the button below.
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