Remote work — aka working from home or a coworking space that’s geared toward your preferred work environment — continues to grow in popularity. It’s a win-win for both employees and employers, but there are some things to consider before hopping on the remote bandwagon.
The benefits of working remotely include greater flexibility, less stress and a healthy work-life balance. But it takes some skill and adaptability to thrive in this new paradigm.
Flexibility
Work flexibility is a huge part of remote working and it has a lot to offer people. It helps them find a work-life balance and also supports their mental health.
According to a recent study, workers who have flexible working hours are able to reduce their stress levels by 20% and boost their job satisfaction by 62%. In addition, flexible work options are a huge help for people who have disabilities or need to care for children and families.
As a result, many professionals are looking for flexible work options. This includes things like a home office, telecommuting, digital nomad jobs, and more.
Companies who offer flexible work options to their employees have a competitive advantage over other businesses. This is because they can attract talent from any part of the world, whereas traditional businesses are limited to hiring those who live in the same area as their offices.
Employees who have flexible work options can save time and energy by avoiding traffic, parking, and other issues that come from commuting to the office. They can also save money by not paying for childcare or other responsibilities.
A recent study found that employees who have flexibility are able to improve their performance and performance reviews. This is a big benefit for companies who are trying to hire high-performing employees.
The same study found that workers who have a job that allows them to be flexible in their schedule are more likely to get promoted. This is because managers trust their employees to do the best they can, and flexible work options give them the freedom to perform at the highest level.
In addition, employers are able to build strong cultures that attract and retain great talent by offering a variety of flexible options. These include flex hours, flexible PTO, and unlimited vacation days.
While there are many benefits to workplace flexibility, managers should follow some key guidelines when implementing a flexible work program. These guidelines will ensure that the flex or remote work program is effective and meets the needs of all employees. They should be clear about their expectations regarding availability, establish a uniform methodology for communication, and provide the tools needed to keep employees up-to-date with work progress.
Health and Wellness
Remote work is a great way to avoid a long commute, save time and money, and have greater flexibility in your schedule. However, it can also have negative effects on your health and wellbeing if you are not careful.
Remote workers can suffer from loneliness, stress, and sleep problems that may have a negative impact on their mental health. These problems can lead to depression, anxiety, and low motivation.
The good news is that there are ways to make your remote employees feel better and improve their health. Several things can help to alleviate these issues, including access to telehealth services for health care and legal assistance.
Wellness programs for remote workers should offer a variety of wellness activities that promote healthy lifestyles and encourage behavior change. These can include gamified individual and team challenges that reward participants for their efforts to adopt healthier behaviors.
A good wellness program will also provide remote employees with a wide range of resources that focus on emotional and physical health topics like stress management, sleep quality, and work life balance. These resources can include online mental health counseling, on-demand virtual doctor visits, and even a legal hotline that employees can call for help with questions about estate planning or other legal matters.
One of the best ways to encourage wellness in your employees is by providing a flexible scheduling policy. This can allow employees to take time off from work when they need to. This can help to prevent burnout and increase productivity.
Another way to encourage healthy behavior is by promoting the use of a fitness tracker. This will encourage employees to be active throughout the day.
Using a tracker, such as a Fitbit or a smartphone app, can help remote employees stay more active and get their exercise in. It can also keep them motivated and encourage them to continue their activity when they are not able to participate in an on-site fitness class.
A good health and wellness platform will also allow employees to evaluate their biometric data without having to gather a group of employees together. This is easier for remote workers because they do not have to be at an onsite location to be screened. The data can be uploaded to the wellness portal and can be evaluated individually by a health coach.
Time Management
Time management is a vital part of remote work, as employees are responsible for planning their day and keeping it accountable. This can make it easier to avoid burnout and keep working at a consistent pace.
Creating a structured schedule for each task is the best way to achieve this. Tools like to-do lists, time-blocking and Pomodoro are all great options to help you stay organized.
Another important aspect of time management for remote workers is setting appropriate boundaries with the team and the rest of your life. Honing your boundary setting skills will also help you better set realistic deadlines for a remote job, and ensure you’re not spending too much of your time working from home guilt.
Many people find it hard to manage their time when working remotely, especially if they don’t have a set office or workspace. This can lead to an unhealthy work-life balance and an unproductive workday.
A recent study found that one in three remote workers spends more than 8 hours a day in front of their computer. This can result in sleep issues, stress and fatigue.
To avoid these problems, it’s crucial to plan your work in the morning and take regular breaks throughout the day. Using Pomodoro or other time-blocking methods can also help you focus on your tasks and stay productive during the day.
Often, it’s difficult to organize yourself when you’re a remote worker and still maintain good communication with your company. For this reason, some companies use collaborative list or map software that makes it possible for everyone in the company to enter their tasks and open deadlines on a common platform.
Some of these platforms also offer features that let users enter their personal and project goals for the week, month or year. This allows workers to get a clear view of their overall workload and prioritize the most important tasks.
Employees who work remotely also need a time tracking tool that helps them record their working hours and performance in a logical and transparent way. There are various time-tracking apps on the market, including Time Doctor and Proofhub.
Communication
Remote work is an increasingly popular workplace option that allows employees to work from a location other than their usual employer-operated office. This could include their home, a co-working space, or a private office. It has become a preferred alternative to traditional office-based employment because it offers a range of benefits to both employers and employees, including flexibility and a reduction in sick days.
Despite the many advantages, remote working can be detrimental to an employee’s mental health. This is because it can reduce communication with colleagues, which can lead to feeling cut off from the rest of the organization. Moreover, remote workers are more likely to worry about office politics and feel like they’re being ignored or misunderstood by their coworkers.
As such, it’s essential for remote teams to maintain a culture of regular communication and to make sure they have designated tools for both synchronous and asynchronous communication. By utilizing video applications for team meetings and 1:1 discussions, for example, employees can remain connected to their peers even when they’re not in the office.
In addition, it’s important to keep up a regular feedback loop for all members of the team. This can be done by implementing recognition platforms or even sending out occasional face-to-face or voice-to-voice communications to build rapport and ensure everyone is getting the feedback they need.
Furthermore, it’s also crucial to communicate about the projects and priorities of the team, as well as to provide status updates on what’s going on with each project. By using a project management tool, it’s possible to share these status updates with team members and keep all of them updated in one place.
However, before allowing your workers to fully remote, it’s important to consider the effects of this new work culture on their productivity and morale. It may take time for your team to get used to their new work schedule, but it will be worth it in the long run if it results in a higher level of collaboration and overall satisfaction.