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I’m exercising, playing mind-stimulating games like scrabble, or having video call dance parties and story time with my niece and nephew. Now that I’m in the swing of things, I’m looking at even more ways to use that time for personal and professional development, like learning a new language online or doing a photoshop course. I generally start my day with a run at 6am when I’m unlikely to encounter others (following the guidelines of social distancing), and when I get home, I’m feeling strong and energised. My mind works differently when I’m outside, and it’s often where I find my best ideas.
Employers can ensure that they are doing everything they can to help keep employees in the best health, both physically and mentally, as possible. It’s important to keep checking back with your employees to see how they’re progressing so you can alter any goals or make adjustments to ensure healthy stress levels. Ultimately, these one-to-ones help to build trust so your employees https://remotemode.net/blog/how-remote-work-can-benefit-employees-and-companies/ will feel more comfortable and reassured to speak openly. This allows you to work together to find solutions to any issues and lighten their stress load. Research stemming from the UK based Work After Lockdown project also noted that the ability to work at home had a positive impact in terms of retaining staff who may have otherwise retired on ill health grounds.
new Microsoft Team features designed to help remote workers
Face-to-face interactions facilitate strong and sustainable working relationships and offer teams a sense of community and support [4,14]. Good relationships with colleagues are the most important factor contributing to morale, according to over three quarters of workers [15]. The most obvious difference between a traditional work environment and that of the remote worker is the lack of opportunities for face-to-face communication.
Global Workplace Analytics found that companies save around £6,810 per year for every employee that spends at least half their time working remotely. I’m so looking forward to getting back to the office, but am also viewing this time working from home as a learning experience, and it’s certainly been a good one. The whole team here at jobs.ac.uk are working from home to continue to bring you job opportunities in science, research and higher education, and many institutions are offering skype interviews, so keep searching. I’m not a big fan of corporate wear, mostly because I don’t really know how to do it right – I always end up feeling frumpy. Or if I’m being really honest, I’m more a jeans-with-a-tshirt-and-flats kind of girl.
Remote Working: 5 Benefits and Challenges
To solve this problem, companies need to establish and incentivize clear expectations and boundaries. Develop policies and norms around response times for different channels of communication and clarify the work-life boundaries for your https://remotemode.net/ employees. “Working from home has improved quality of life. Lost weight, walk every day, saved money and genuinely happier” (Female 45-54). New research revealed that an average desk contains 400 times more germs than a toilet seat.
This would reduce pollution-related diseases and protect global ecosystems [13]. A reduced number of people commuting would also reduce congestion and improve travel efficiency for others. And it’s not just about the practical benefits, having a reputation as a flexible employer can help you attract and keep talented staff.
Check-in on how your employees are feeling
You can work at your own pace and style with no distractions, which gives people a sense of fulfilment and happiness in their job. The relationship between personal well-being and productivity is a very important one. If you have that sense of fulfilment in your job, you are more likely to put in extra effort. The majority of healthcare workers are adept at navigating electronic systems and have been trained in face-to-face interactions.
What are the positive effects of remote working?
Remote workers have the advantage of not coming into contact with other people (which is especially important in the light of Covid-19) and catching unwanted germs from coughs and colds. Mental health can also improve with remote working, as there is less stress, and working in your own environment can be relaxing.
Fearing failure could mean that you are less likely to take risks and challenge yourself, which could end up holding you and your business back from progressing. Regularly experiencing feelings of self-doubt when it comes to your ability can also have a big impact on your confidence and self-esteem, which can also hold you and your business back. The COVID-19 pandemic and related lockdown forced the NHS to make rapid and significant changes to its traditional model of patient care delivery. This included primary and secondary care consultations, patient diagnostics and management, and providing for those infected with and of increased vulnerability to coronavirus. A further 10 per cent reported that they have worked in their rented office in the past 12 months.
Lowering employee stress
When your employees are based in an office, it’s much easier to be aware of any habits or behaviours that may be affecting wellbeing. If your staff are remote – you need to keep a close eye on how they’re feeling and work to maintain a structure which supports their wellbeing. In particular, those who were aged 35 plus, were more likely to think that working from home was better for their health and wellbeing compared to year-olds (48% vs 34%). Several factors positively impacted on people’s physical and mental health and sense of wellbeing, while working from home during the pandemic.
- So a comfortable, distraction-free space to work in is at the top of the list for would-be remote staff.
- Productivity is shown to be higher in those that work remotely, compared to open plan offices [9,10].
- With employees working remotely if they feel too unwell to make the journey to the office and sit at their desk all day, instead of taking the day off they can continue working in the comfort of their own home.
- Working from home may also not fit in with everyone’s home-life eg some people may have young children that may be unaware of boundaries and cause interruptions during the working day.
- Other advantages of remote working cited by freelancers included the ability to take on more projects (11%) and the opportunity to work in different locations (10%).
