With self-isolation being the “new normal” during COVID-19, more workers than ever are working remotely. These employees face several challenges to their well-being that you, as an employer, may not yet have thought about how to address fully. Below are compelling reasons to support the mental health of your remote workforce during this unique time, and how to do so.
To improve mental health requires first knowing what the issues are that many telecommuting work ersface today. Those who have not previously worked from home, for example, likely find it challenging to stay on task.
They also must adjust to being alone most of the day. Furthermore, their minds may wander from work to the health crisis during COVID-19.
Anxiety levels can increase and interrupt their sleep. Over time, they can become less productive than before, as well as lonely. Health complications can result, and you might see rates of sick leave increase over time.
If the area of mental health isn’t one that you’re used to addressing yet, now is the time to do so. Improving worker happiness can help strengthen their drive as they push to meet their work goals.
They are likely to appreciate that the organization cares about their well-being too, which increases loyalty toward your organization and can reduce employee turn overrates. Of course, higher worker productivity is also terrific for any business.
Your remote work force might not interact face to face right now, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t still communicate. In fact, being successful in team projects depends largely on this clear communication.
Your employees can also benefit mentally from the interaction. Feeling included can help them feel valuable to the organization and re mind them that they’re not alone duringCOVID-19.
To improve teamwork, encourage them to connect and communicate using:
Sharing and tracking team progress can be as simple as signing onto Talcura’s intuitive Talent Acquisition suite, for example.
Recruiting, hiring, and onboarding employees does not have to stop during COVID-19 for lack of communication tools. Instead, it will become a smooth process, given the easy-to-use Talcura interface that is even customizable.
Furthermore, weekly meetings can help your team stay in contact, sharing small talk as well as getting answers to business-related questions quicker than they likely would by email. These meetings also provide an environment for remote workers to speak up when they might not otherwise do so during COVID-19.
Finally, remind your team to take breaks during their day. Some people may throw themselves in to their jobs to avoid dealing with their anxieties; if so, they risk burnout by not resting periodically throughout the day.
Thinking beyond the conventional ways of communicating will help remote employees continue to improve business performance. Employees benefit by growing professionally and will feel part of a team even while working from home. Supporting mental health is more important than ever for organizations today.
