How to help your employees thrive when working remotely
Whatever the size of your business, having a healthy and happy workforce is crucial for its success. Increased levels of productivity, fewer sick days and more engaged employees are among the many benefits. The global pandemic has transformed the workplace, with increasing numbers of organizations adopting remote working models. More often than not, little support is provided to employees to navigate this new setting. Being isolated from colleagues and in a home environment full of distractions is a recipe for disengagement. By prioritizing employee wellbeing, it’s possible to help your team adapt and thrive in this new setting.
At Timeular, we’ve been working fully remote since day one of the company in 2016. From the tools we use to drive collaboration, to our development of a digital playbook and our virtual summits, focusing on the small details makes all the difference in fostering engagement and workplace happiness. With all staff getting 50 days of paid holiday annually, there’s also plenty of time for everyone to recharge.
Here are some top tips to help ensure you and your employees make a success of remote working.
Encourage physical exercise
Physical exercise not only helps clear the mind and reduce stress but plays a key role in improving work-life balance and preventing illnesses such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
As an employer, think creatively about ways to encourage staff to be physically active while remote working. It will help them be more productive too. Why not consider providing an allowance to buy bikes, allowing staff to go for a cycle during their breaks. This would also allow them to start cycling to work again when the pandemic is over, helping them maintain fitness levels and start the day focused.
Foster ways to curb mental illness
With many people carrying huge burdens in life at present, it’s no surprise that levels of stress and depression are on the rise. These conditions can easily transition into long-term mental illnesses if left untreated.
An effective method of improving the mental health of employees who are remote working is to introduce incentives to help them find balance. Encourage flexible schedules and allow employees to work when they feel most productive, rather than the usual confines of 9-5. At Timeular, every Thursday is meeting free, allowing everyone time to work undisturbed.
Providing subscriptions for wellbeing platforms, whether it’s meditation apps or fitness trackers, will also make it easier for your workforce to develop positive lifestyle habits. This will benefit them and your organization.
Encourage time off and breaks
Sitting at a desk for long periods of time can lead to health complications including bad posture, as well as back, neck and shoulder pain. Introducing time tracking to your team will help increase efficiency and allow people to take more breaks.
Introducing a remote working allowance allows employees to invest in equipment to help improve their home office set-up.
This is something we have done at Timeular through our Sunray Program which allows staff to share in the company’s success.
TIP: If your team doesn’t know what time tracking is and its importance, our guide is what you need.
Encourage healthy eating
Healthy eating is a crucial factor in keeping illnesses at bay. Encourage your remote employees to stay healthy by sharing vouchers that they can redeem with online healthy snack providers. When they are back in the office, having a ready supply of fruits and nuts in the staff kitchen will also encourage healthier food choices. It will also stop people hitting the cookie jar for a sugar rush during those mid-afternoon slumps.
You can also encourage healthy eating by creating a channel for recipe sharing in your chosen form of communication (eg. Slack). Getting inspired by other co-workers encourages healthier eating and helps team bonding while working from home.
Make remote working…work
Focusing on employee well-being will help them find much-needed balance in their lives and demonstrate their value to your organization. By helping them thrive in their roles during these uncertain times you will also ensure that your business is well placed to achieve success in the months and years ahead.
Looking for extra guidance?
Our remote working guide is full of tips to help your employees thrive. From how to plan time, to ensuring virtual meetings pass without a hitch, the guide shows how to work remotely and make every minute of the day count.
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