COVID-19: How to Maintain Employee Wellbeing from a Distance
Remote work has been around for a while, but it wasn’t until early 2020 and the outbreak of COVID-19 that it became the norm. Most organisations had only experimented with remote working up until this point, so many were left grappling with the sudden change.
One of the major challenges of remote work sits on the shoulders of people leaders. The role of managers and supervisors is made harder when you can only connect with your team through technology and the importance of maintaining these connections has only become greater given the unstable situation.
While the challenges of remotely managing a team might be difficult, they are far from insurmountable.
The challenges of working from home
In order to manage the challenges of working remotely, a team leader first needs to understand them. Some of the major trials and tribulations include:
● Loneliness: Humans are herd animals—we need social interaction to thrive. Talking on the phone generally isn’t enough. People who work in shared offices experience impromptu ‘watercooler’ moments, they share meals together and often meet for after-work drinks. Those working from home may only have the houseplants or their pets to talk to.
● Separating personal from professional: Where possible it helps if employees have a dedicated home office or workspace. Bringing work materials into the bedroom, for example, can interfere with their ability to relax later on. Working from a couch can create mental associations that keep their mind occupied with work after-hours. At the very least, encourage them to set up a desk and chair for work only.
● Domestic distractions: Children, pets, partners, deliveries; working from home means employees will be dealing with all manner of distractions. They often can’t be avoided, so a worker needs to be clear about which interruptions are okay and which can wait. A do not disturb sign or noise cancelling headphones can help people deal with the majority of distractions. Employees should also explain to their families why it's important for them to avoid interruptions.
● Maintaining routine: There is something to be said for putting on work attire, even when at home. Instead of wearing track pants all day, put on an outfit you’d likely wear to the office and have your team do the same. Keep consistent work hours, clocking on and off as per normal. Feeling competent isn’t just about productivity, research has shown that self-efficacy has a positive impact on health too.
Recognising potential issues
While everyone is faced with the same challenge of working from home, some will handle it better than others. As a manager you need to actively identify if anyone isn’t coping, so you can intervene before the issues become too great. Keep an eye out for:
● A negative attitude: Persistent negativity—particularly from a normally positive employee—is a big red flag. There may also be a lack of willingness to cooperate with teammates or commit to new assignments.
● Poor work performance: Low morale almost always impacts an employee’s or team’s performance. Missed deadlines, mistakes and a decline in service levels can all be side effects of low morale in the workplace.
● Gossip: Misinformation will often spread even faster amongst a remote team than it will in an in-office team. Communication is essential for bolstering morale and managing your team and if you don’t take a proactive, thoughtful and strategic approach to sharing information, you risk gossip running wild.
Boosting employee motivation and morale
There are some relatively simple things any manager can do to maintain normality and boost morale while their team works remotely. Try to:
● Ensure there are regular positive interactions with co-workers.
● Check in weekly with each team member.
● Track employee mental health by conducting monthly wellbeing surveys.
● Be pragmatic in your management, incorporating the needs of the individual.
● Encourage phone calls over emails, and video calls over phone calls.
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● Run a compulsory video conference at least once a week where you encourage everyone to share their remote working challenges and successes.
● Celebrate random acts of kindness - both internal and external.
● Acknowledge achievements.
Finally, when faced with a problem:
The ultimate decision is yours, but an employee who feels involved is more likely to be on board with the outcome.
Finding the right level of contact
How often should you speak to your team members? There’s no simple answer—what works for one person may not work for another—so you need to understand the unique needs of each team member. Some people work best when surrounded by others, some are more productive solo. You need to be flexible while employees navigate the situation. In a perfect world you’ll use phone and video calling to maintain a level of routine and contact similar to a normal office environment.
Avoid cancelling or rescheduling calls. Encourage employees to take breaks as they would in the office, but instead of watercooler chat they could spend 30-60 minutes cooking, exercising, or playing with kids or pets. Have everyone share their activity with the group during conference calls.
Maintaining productivity
Getting your team comfortable in their new working conditions is just part of the challenge, you also need them to maintain their levels of productivity. The following strategies can help to do just that:
● Set deadlines: Always set a clear deadline when you distribute tasks to team members, and check in on how they are progressing or send reminders. When workers can take ownership of tasks and track their progress, they’re far more likely to complete them on time.
● Track activity: Use software to track the activity and productivity of each team member. This allows you to check which of your remote team members are maintaining their in-office standards.
● Send out a daily summary: It can be easy for team members to lose track of what they accomplished during the day. A summary report showcases the work completed and how it compared to expectations.
The Generation Health approach to employee wellbeing
At Generation Health, we’re committed to improving lives and this commitment has seen us develop a series of products through the established Tele-X suite of services which are designed to support companies with employee wellbeing.
With COVID-19 creating a number of uncertainties and anxieties, managers may not have the skills or confidence to manage discussions or offer support regarding the related issues with their staff. This can see them developing feelings of distress or disenfranchisement. Our management assistance program provides a clear road map for people managers to support their employees through difficult times.
Through our Tele-X service suite, we also offer mental health check-in services for staff who have been affected by recent changes. Our expert counsellors work with managers to identify issues, empathise, provide support and guidance and plan sessions to work through the issues. Along with our early intervention programs, Generation Health offers a full suite of services designed to help team leaders adjust to the working conditions which have been thrust upon them.
The challenges are many and varied, but by facing them head on, you and your team will have the greatest chance of success.
So, how are you adjusting to life as the leader of a remote team? Do you have any tips for maintaining (or even boosting) productivity and morale?