covid 19 and remote working

The coronavirus outbreak is like nothing we have experienced in our lifetimes. In the past couple of weeks, countries outside of East Asia have woken up to the enormity of what the new strain of Coronavirus means for how we live and we work. 

Many employers are now facing up to longer-term disruptions that will affect business like labor shortages, transportation limitations, lower number of working hours and lower consumer demand. 

covid 19 and remote working

Global brands are taking precautions to reduce exposure and transmission among employees. Measures include work travel bans, canceling in-person meetings and conferences, and encouraging employees to work from home or self-quarantine until the danger has passed. 

Alphabet, Google’s parent company, recommended that all employees in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa work from home until April 10. Amazon has told workers across the globe who are able to work from home to do so until the end of this month. Other tech companies, including Twitter, Microsoft, and Apple, have requested that employees work from home, as have numerous small and medium-sized companies.

As Covid 19 spreads ever more rapidly, organizations should encourage employees to work remotely. For many employees, however, the prospect of working full-time from home is new and daunting.

Here are some tips to help your employees prepare for remote working.

Get into a routine 

Working from home presents a different set of challenges than working in an office. It is easier to succumb to distractions plus a lack of socializing with coworkers can make some people restless. 

It is vital to get into a routine. Allocate set hours to answer emails, make conference calls, have lunch and write reports. The next thing you know, your at-home workday will be over.

It is also useful to designate a workspace in your home. Treat it like an office and use it as a way to avoid procrastination or being distracted. 

Stay connected

Distance from the workplace often translates into distance from workplace values, community and company culture. It’s too easy to become isolated and feel like you’re alone in your work when you’re out of an office environment. Maintain a connection to the office by choosing to make calls rather than sending emails, and keep in contact with your department members via video conferencing.

Establish work-life balance

Once you’re at home, if you don’t have clear boundaries it’s easy to become overwhelmed from both sides. Saying yes to every chore because you’re at home and agreeing to every work assignment because you aren’t sure when your workday ends is a sure recipe for stress and frustration. Allow yourself to reflect on what’s on your plate at home and at work, and negotiate with your partner, family and coworkers when you feel overstretched.

Inclusive leadership 

For many leaders, managing a remote team may be a new experience. To ensure that it’s a positive one, leaders should try to keep track of remote workforce and check that each employee has the tools to carry out their daily duties. Part of the process should be to schedule face time (video conferencing) with individual employees to ensure that they don’t feel disconnected. 

Delivering regular feedback to employees and encouraging workers to feedback through tools like pulse checks, helps everyone align with team goals. It also fosters dialogue on what is being done right and what can improve.

Ask for help

We are living through uniquely difficult times. The closure of schools means that many employees are facing the additional challenge of caring for their kids at home while staying on top of their remote day job. They are also under enormous stress when it comes to ensuring that elderly loved ones, those statistically most at risk, are cared for and monitored. 

Employees must not be afraid to let your employer know that you need time off or that you require more flexible hours to allow you to perform your role. 

Likewise, managers should feel they can ask for tools to better communicate with, and motivate their distributed workforce.

Summary

Working from home can be a challenge. But when there’s a contagious illness going around, staying away from crowded offices is essential to reduce the likelihood of transmission. Until the coronavirus is under control, the benefits of remote work outweigh the inconvenience. As long as it’s handled the right way, your organization can remain productive and engaged. 

This article is supported by Espresa, a firm helping to define and ignite the HR tech space to disrupt culture for good.