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Remote working can often tell you miss key signs of burnout, such as chronic fatigue. By encouraging employees to come into the office, you will be able to better understand the emotional state of your staff through your conversations. Better work-life balanceBy encouraging your staff to work in the office or even take up a hybrid working opportunity, they will be better able to maintain structured routines.
I’ve taken up new hobbies to fill the time, and am planning to take some online classes to keep my personal learning and development up. There sometimes comes a point in the day when I just struggle to focus, especially if I’ve been writing for a few hours or working through a particularly complex project. I get quite frustrated when this happens, which also doesn’t help with being able to focus. Make a cup of coffee, or just sit outside for 5 minutes to breathe some fresh air and clear my head.
Advatages experienced from working remotely
We know that for most of us, this is a highly concerning time, and for some it may be a particularly anxious period, which we talked about in a blog post earlier this week. However, with home-working being brought to the forefront en masse, it’s the perfect time to highlight the benefits that home working can bring to an employee’s working life. 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. CIPD conducted a survey, which found that absenteeism dropped by 56% when employers started adopting a flexible working routine. Individuals working from home may feel a disconnect from their colleagues and organisation as a whole that an office environment naturally allows.
At this uncertain time surrounding COVID-19, it is necessary for people to work from home where possible. “I have much preferred working from home. It has meant (due to my sight loss) I work in a truly completely accessible environment and have access to a clean toilet and kitchen facilities which wasn’t the case pre-pandemic.” (Female, 45-54). Pharmacy deliver in discreet plain packages and never use our brand name on bills or delivery papers. Working in an office, where there are large numbers of people coming into contact with each other, can put you at a higher risk of picking up viruses.
Remote working: is it right for your business?
Having the flexibility to work from home benefits employee health and wellbeing and supports a better work-life balance. Whether it’s due to dropping the commute, working in your own space or being able to fit a work-out into your lunchbreak, lockdown showed people across the UK the benefits of a better work-life balance. A shift towards home working doesn’t mean employees have to work only at home. Often splitting time between home, or other remote locations and the workplace is the most productive solution. You may want your staff to provide feedback on their working from home experience to get them involved in the process of developing a hybrid working policy.
And recent research suggests that hybrid workers may be healthier than those who work solely from the office or remotely. Using confidential surveys is a great way to check-in with your people and find out what they think your organisation is doing well, and what they think could be improved. An automated https://remotemode.net/ pulse survey tool can help you send frequent, short pulse surveys to see how employees are feeling about all areas of your business. This way you can identify any problems that may be impacting the wellbeing of your employees and allows you to implement solutions quickly and effectively.
Blurred lines between work and home life
When you’re sat in the office, the chances are that you could think of nothing better than being sat in your cozy living room with your pets. However, when you finally get the opportunity to do so, you might miss https://remotemode.net/blog/how-remote-work-can-benefit-employees-and-companies/ the office and your colleagues and hate working from your living room. If you allow your staff to work remotely, you’ll naturally need less office space to accommodate them – saving you valuable pennies.
It’s been proven by the ONS that any commute over 60 minutes is detrimental to your well-being, stress anxiety and happiness. So by being flexible in your place of work, you’ll benefit from improved mental health and well-being. In the case of an employee earning £25,000 a year, it’ll cost the average business £30,614 to replace that employee. These costs account for training, onboarding and the sourcing of a new candidate. By adopting a flexible working policy, you’ll boost the chances of retaining your best staff. Less stressWorking in the office can help decrease stress in some employees, such as the worry of covering bills.
How to support the wellbeing of your remote employees
Since 2014, UK employees have the right to request flexible working hours from their employers and have it properly considered [5]. All of the benefits outlined above contribute to a less stressful and healthier life for workers. The more balanced schedule that home-working gives us allows more time and money to do things that enrich our physical and mental wellbeing, perhaps leading to a longer and more healthy life.
Is remote work mentally healthy?
Lower Stress Levels
You don't have to dress up for work and can wear whatever makes you feel comfortable that day. And when you do have to go into the office, it will be much easier to enjoy yourself because most people who work remotely are much happier at their jobs than those who commute every day from home.
If you are, you should check out our suite of ERP, CRM and productivity tools. They empower your business with what it needs to offer flexible working patterns. I feel like somehow my thoughts just don’t come out properly when I can’t see the other person, and I always feel so awkward talking on the phone when there are other people around.
Employees explained that working from home enabled them to manage conditions such as a migraine or anxiety in a way that would not have been possible in the office. According to data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) the number of UK workers who have moved into remote working has increased by nearly a quarter of a million over a decade. More and more small business owners are making wellbeing a priority within their businesses. Whether that’s to retain their current team members, to make the workplace a more positive place or to help attract new talent to join the company. In our small business guide, Eugene Farrell, Mental Health Lead at AXA Health, shares his tips and advice for how small business owners can support mental health at work.
- You can work at your own pace and style with no distractions, which gives people a sense of fulfilment and happiness in their job.
- One that requires good access to information, constructive attitudes and trust-based relations.
- In companies that have embraced flexible working, up to 64% of employees are working from home at least some of the time [2].
- When I came back to my desk, I was feeling refreshed and energised and found that I was immediately able to get my head down and ticked a good few things off my to-do list.