Although our employees have put in the effort, the true legacy of covid-19 has left exhaustion and burnout in its wake.
The coronavirus has left us with quite a legacy. The last 20 months or more have seemed like we are all wading through treacle, waiting for it to be over. One of the biggest changes we have seen across the board in industry, is an increased pressure placed on our employees. It is our job as SME owners to make sure we account for this, and don’t leave the staff that have helped us get through the pandemic, high and dry.
Table of Contents
Our Employees are Struggling
Since Covid-19 hit, our employees have been struggling. Why? Because they underwent a massive shift in the way their working world operated. They were forced to stay at home for months, home-schooling children, working from home with partners, and trying to juggle a work-life balance at the same time. The average employee has been stressed out beyond comprehension.
While from a company perspective there may be little to no drop off in productivity in remote work; to the employee, they feel constantly available. Their working lives have intruded into their home lives. They no longer value that time with loved ones because they are sick of the sight of them, or they can’t get it together enough to conquer the workload because remote work isn’t’ for them.
Let’s face it, while many of us enjoy the freedom of working from home, some of us hate it. If you live in a busy household, have a job that’s hands-on, or have kids under your feet all day, then a WFH lifestyle might not be for you. We can’t negate reports that Gen Z are turning down non-remote work, they have gotten so used to it, but it certainly isn’t for everyone.
Helping Employees Cope with WFH Stress
There are a number of ways that we can help these employees better that work-life balance. Here are some top tips for facilitating your own staff needs.
1. Invest in Wellbeing Training
You will find excellent wellbeing training programs courtesy of Hays Education. Hays have been training staff for years now but have devised multiple wellbeing training programs that teach employees to self-manage those stressors in the WFH life.
2. Equip them Properly
If you have WFH/remote workers who are using their gran’s computer form 2003, you are going to have stressed out employees. Make sure they have the right equipment even when they are not in the office. Access to software support is essential, so outsourcing IT could be a good idea.
3. Meet them Weekly
All remote workers feel disconnected from the office, their jobs, and other members of staff. Engaging your remote workers in weekly meetings helps them stay in the loop[i]. Try to make the meeting through video chat if you can’t meet them face to face. It is about putting a face on the company that they can check in with so that they still feel like part of the team.
[i] https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/13/21178312/remote-work-worker-videoconference-slack-chat-connected
