Employee well-being when working from home

Due to the rise of employees working from home as of late, working remotely has become a popular working policy for employers to introduce and implement. After Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced new government measures for people to work from home if possible¹ , it has been used as a method and safe measure to protect the health and well-being of employees with the coronavirus pandemic. This, however, is not the only reason employers have started to encourage employees to work remotely. According to Gallup's State of the American Workplace, the number of Americans that worked remotely increased from 39% to 43% between 2012 and 2016².

What are the benefits of allowing employees to work from home?

Working from home can help to attract future employees and encourage them to join an organisation. Research by After College suggests that for 77% of potential employees, the option to work from home one day a week is a huge incentive³. Remote working can also benefit employers and the success of a company. An article by Harvard Business School suggests that if companies allow their employees flexibility on where and when to do their jobs, this can increase the productivity of their employees, reduce turnover and lower organisational costs⁴.

The importance of employee communication

It is vital that employees stay connected while working remotely. Communication is a key aspect to consider in a working environment and essential to keeping on top of productivity whilst employees are working from home away from the support of their colleagues. Barbara Larson, a professor at Northeastern University in Boston studying remote working, says it’s important to have clear-set expectations for communications day to day⁵ . Ensure that your employees are familiar with your communication channels and ask them to check in at scheduled times, so they are up to date with the information they need. According to Corporate Client Success Team Manager Rebecca Thomas on Reward Gateway, communication allows employees to keep in touch and stay connected. In situations when employees can't just turn to the person next to them to ask a question, it's important to be clear about which channels to use for particular tasks, projects and fact-finding⁶.

Methods to safeguard employee well-being

Employee well-being in the workplace has never been more significant, especially as much of the population is now working from home in an environment that might be less easy to control. In order to maximise productivity and encourage employees to look after their mental and physical health, try to advise them to follow a daily routine to maintain a healthy work-life balance. It is important that they can distinguish between work and home, especially as both are confined to one location. Karen Eyre-White, a productivity coach and founder of GoDo, says that an employee must switch from home to work mode, by having something they can do physically to flip the switch. Whether that means they go for a walk, stop for a tea break or light a candle. Stay in touch with employees and ensure they are taking breaks, managing distractions and socialising.

How to reward employees working remotely

An article published on Reward Gateway with tips on keeping remote employees engaged, advises that employers publish daily success on an employee engagement platform. This will allow recognition of employees and help to showcase company success. Managers can also be encouraged to discuss the wins of the day with their team, in one-to-one catch-ups, team meetings or even employee surveys. Making wins visible on a social recognition programme creates a celebratory atmosphere where colleagues are all steering the boat in the same direction, no matter where in the world they're sitting⁷. Hard work can also be acknowledged with the use of performance incentives and there are many other ways to make your staff feel valued while giving them an incentive to work.

1 - BBC, 2020
2 - Gallup, 2017
3 - After College, 2017
4 - Harvard Business School, 2019
5 - BBC Worklife, 2020
6 - Reward Gateway, 2020
7 - Reward Gateway, 2020