Here’s how employers can make WFH easier for their employees
Tags: Collaboration, Communication, Tools, Team, Business

Not seeing anyone but your housemates for an extended period of time is not a lot of fun. Sadly though, this is how many have been living for close to 9 months now. During this time, the fortunate have continued to have a job, but it sure has not been easy. It is a big shift, going from the routine of going to work every day and socializing with colleagues, to almost no personal interactions at all.

Being cooped up can sadly take a big toll on mental health and productivity. This in turn affects the quality of your work. The brunt of dealing with this usually falls on the individual. But is it only their responsibility? Not really. There are definitely things even the employers can do reduce stress for their employees.

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Here are some ways employers can help

Invest in a good work app

One of the biggest challenges people face with remote work is they’re not able to manage their work and time. The most common complaint has been — “I seem to be working even more at home than in the office.” This could be because of many reasons including

Poor handling of time due to lack of office discipline

Inability to stop working — the mentality of ‘just one more thing’

Loss of productivity due to constant distractions

It would help if an employer provided their employees a good productivity app that can keep them organized when not at the office.

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Here are some apps to help with that

Clariti

Clariti is a free SaaS productivity app that integrates emails, chats, calls, to-dos and shared cloud documents. By bringing all communications to one platform it makes everything more accessible, so that information does not get lost. It also helps users make better sense of their conversations and information. It does this by arranging related information (emails, chats, documents) in Threads. This helps keep the context intact, so users spend less time searching and more time being productive.

Sketchboard

Some people are naturally very visual in the way they work and learn. Sketchboard is an online diagramming tool that lets you collaborate with others. Once you’re done with your sketch, you can organize it in a way that you like. It also has easy sharing available and with the paid version, there are even more features and templates available.

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On-Call Therapists

It’s natural for anxiety and stress to increase when there is constant uncertainty. Without a proper means to process this negativity, the mental health of your employees could get adversely affected, impacting their productivity.

Here are some resources to help

Online Therapy

The Pandemic has led to an increased availability of online therapy. Investing in a good therapist for your employees could definitely go a long way in boosting mental health, and by extension, productivity.

What’s Up — The Mental Health App

There are numerous apps available that track mental health patterns and help overcome negative thoughts. What’s Up is one such app that uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) methods to help cope with Depression, Anxiety, Stress, and more. It tracks behavior and gives actionable pointers on how to overcome negative thoughts. This is a free resource available on smart devices.

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Keeping Fit at Home

One negative effect of staying home is that there’s a huge shift in eating habits. Without realizing it, people tend to either overeat or refrain from eating that all. This is a HUGE NO! Finding time in the day for individuals to work out and keep fit could take a backseat. However, when it is monitored and mandated by the organization, employees will be more willing to get into the routine of physical fitness. It is also encouraging to know you have company and can share results while working out.

Here’s a group fitness app that can help

Sworkit

This is one of the best personal trainer apps. It allows you to customize your timings and your workouts and gives you the power of choice. It has inclusive workouts and increases employee wellness with the variety and choice. They have ideal at-home workouts that won’t need expensive equipment or space to accomplish.

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Virtual Meetings

No, I don’t mean the meetings designed to talk about work stuff. An important part of your employee’s day is socializing with their co-workers. At the office, this would be the tea-breaks or the occasional stroll outside. The opportunity for this has become zero now. To help with this, employers can allocate specific times for a virtual tea-break, where colleagues can come together and enjoy breaks and chit-chat.

According to a study, employees are typically more productive when they work from home rather than at the office. So, implementing one, or all, of these methods is sure to boost the productivity even further. By taking care of your employees, you are taking care of your organization as well.