The COVID-19 pandemic has affected billions of people across the globe and each day, the fight for life continues. Many offices shifted to the work from home model in 2020, which continues this year as well. However, we must remember that transitioning to remote working has been a challenge for millions of employees.
To minimise burnout and potential attrition, organisations must focus on employees’ physical as well as mental health.
Encourage Your Employees to Stay Healthy During Work From Home
Working from home sounds like a fine idea at first. But in reality, it can take some getting used to. Multiple factors come into play when a person is working from home, many of which can impede their productivity. There might not always be enough resources as there were in the office. Employees might face difficulty in creating a designated workspace, or fail to secure ample internet speed.
Finding the right work-life balance could also be a challenge. It is up to the employer to understand that not all employees may be able to cope with the demands of working from home initially and that adapting to it may take time.
Not to forget, about 87% of employees said they consider health and wellness offerings when choosing an employer.
Here are a few ways in which organisations can encourage their employees to stay fit and healthy while working from home:
1. Revision of work policy
Every organisation has a work policy in place to streamline its day-to-day operations. However, times are tough and people are struggling with multiple things at a time. In such a scenario, companies need to modify their policies and even relax them a bit, so that there is no unnecessary stress to the employees.
One such example can be allowing employees to take paid leaves in order to take care of a family member battling COVID-19. Another example could be not requiring an official note from a doctor for employees who are battling an acute illness. The healthcare sector is overburdened in these times and every employee might not be able to produce written proof of their illness.
On the other hand, team managers can be instructed to distribute the workload in such a way that no employee feels that they are being burdened. In certain cases, companies can also outsource some of the work to reduce the pressure on employees. In addition to this, HRs can provide one-on-one counselling sessions in case an employee feels too worked up.
HRs can provide one-on-one counselling sessions in case an employee feels too worked up. Click To Tweet2. Issuing reminders
No, not reminders about targets, deadlines, work progress, etc., employees already get enough of those. We are talking about the kind of reminders that are beneficial to employees and lift their spirits a bit.
The HR team of an organisation can send personalised messages or emails to encourage the employees to open up about any issue they are facing. Companies can also encourage employees to regularly talk to their teammates via video conferencing, chats, etc. so that communication lines remain open and the feeling of isolation is reduced.
3. Sharing virtual workout tips
Working from home can often affect the physical and mental health of employees. However, simple workout steps or yoga can reverse the damage.
There are several exercises that can be done while sitting at desks. To encourage employees to stay healthy and fit, companies can share these workout tips as a reminder. Companies can also team up with fitness experts and conduct online workout sessions for employees at discounted rates.
To save their employees from having back or neck problems in the future, companies can subsidise the purchase of ergonomic chairs, make available free workout tutorial videos to employees, etc.
In addition, companies can also hire health experts to talk about home workout tips so that employees remain fit. Such conversations will provide the employees with an opportunity to pay attention to their health and do something for themselves. The experts can also talk about ways to boost immunity, how to maintain a healthy work from home routine, etc.
4. Organising online mental health interactions
A lot of debate has been going on about mental health these days and people are quite aware of its importance by now. The struggle gets more real when it comes to working away from the usually buzzing workplace.
So companies can take the necessary steps to ensure their employees are always mentally in the right place. HSBC’s Group Chief Human Resources Officer, Elaine Arden, shared during an interaction that their company conducts manager and employee surveys that provide them with valuable insights about their employees’ mental health.
Other steps to take care of employees’ mental health include organising various mental health interactions, inviting mental health experts, doctors, and other healthcare professionals to speak to employees and ask them how the company can make working from home easier.
5. Encouraging employees to maintain work-life balance
Working from home in no way means working the entire day. But it is easy to lose track of working hours when home becomes the workplace. Companies must encourage employees to not continue working after their working hours and use the time that they have towards doing something they enjoy.
Organisations can issue reminders, encouraging them to not overwork themselves. Employees can be encouraged to set reminders or alarms on their smartphones, telling them to stop working and start doing something fun. Maintaining a work-life balance is a crucial step towards mental health.
Companies must encourage employees to not continue working after their working hours and use the time that they have towards doing something they enjoy. Click To Tweet6. Encourage activity breaks and reduce digital fatigue
Ask the team managers to encourage employees to take small activity breaks while working. For instance, a manager can ask the employees to take an activity break every 2 hours. They can make some tea/coffee, look out the balcony, listen to some music, or anything really, during this time.
Digital fatigue is also a rising concern in today’s time and leads to lower productivity, affecting a business’s revenues.
3 in 5 workers say they are burned out in their current job, and 31% of respondents report extremely elevated levels of stress at work.
3 in 5 workers say they are burned out in their current job, and 31% of respondents report extremely elevated levels of stress at work.
To reduce digital fatigue among employees, managers can be asked to limit the number of virtual meetings or conference calls in a day. Also, managers should try not to call/text employees beyond their working hours. When the employees are healthy, their performance will go up even without a nudge.
7. Staying connected
Working from home is even more challenging when somebody is living alone. They have to set aside working hours for the day, prepare food, clean the house, take care of the little chores, and whatnot! Add to that, the stress that comes with loneliness.
Companies can let their employees feel like they are not alone and are a part of a bigger team. They can instruct managers to conduct ‘no work talk video conferences’ once a month, during which they can check up on the people in their team. Employees can also be instructed to talk to the HRs in case they have any grievances that demand their attention. Staying connected can go a long way and can help ease this battle for people.
To sum up, every organisation can take a number of steps to ensure their employees are at the prime of their mental and physical health. This will go a long way in strengthening employee loyalty, increased productivity, and better profits for the company.
