6 Tips To Support The Well-Being Of Your Remote Employees
Manager support matters greatly to employees. In fact, managers are a deciding factor in the level of satisfaction employees experience in the workplace. However, even if your company has every intention to take all necessary measures to keep everyone feeling motivated and valued, the framework of workflow and processes may be inadvertently compromising your employees’ health and wellness. Especially in times of instability and change, employees need extra backing from management to cope with unexpected challenges, such as mental and physical fatigue, disengagement, financial uncertainty, etc. In this article, we discuss how managers can build a culture of well-being that promotes employee wellness and productivity.
What Can Employers Do To Create A Culture Of Well-Being?
1. Give Employees Control Over Their Job
Micromanagement is a common stress factor in businesses. It usually occurs when managers feel the need to oversee all processes and tasks performed by their team members. However, if you want to build a culture of well-being, it’s time you gave some of that control back to your employees. Specifically, give them the tools they need to work independently and allow them to regain their sense of autonomy. This would include sufficient training and development opportunities to help employees grow in their professional roles. In addition, you can leave the restricting 9-5 in the past. For example, you can try the asynchronous schedule, short weeks, or flexible working hours and let employees choose whichever option ensures maximum productivity for them.
2. Have Regular Check-Ins
Communication is crucial for businesses that focus on creating a culture of employee well-being. Therefore, it’s important that you have regular check-ins with your team members to connect and catch up. This way, your team members get the chance to express their concerns or needs. What’s more, they feel heard and appreciated in their workplace. As a result, they are less likely to suffer from burnout or low job satisfaction because their needs are met. An additional benefit to frequent communication is that it gives employers better insight into the needs of their employees, facilitating them to balance them with organizational goals.
3. Encourage Breaks And Time Off
One thing that has changed with the switch to working from home is how employees view time off work, whether that is a break or actual PTO. Having no coworkers around causes employees to work for long unbroken periods, in turn resulting in physical and mental overload. Additionally, travel restrictions combined with the difficulty to literally and figuratively disconnect after the day ends have significantly decreased the number of paid time off employees ask for. Having said that, it’s up to you, as a manager, to encourage your team members to take frequent breaks during the day and use their PTO, even if it’s just to take a relaxing staycation.
4. Establish A Recognition System
Being recognized for your contributions in the workplace is a wonderful feeling. It makes employees feel seen and appreciated, and it motivates them to keep doing their best. Therefore, if you’re not already doing this, start vocalizing your appreciation of someone’s work. Send them a handwritten note, or use the intranet to share their accomplishment company-wide. You could even establish an organized recognition scheme that celebrates a valuable team member every one or two months and awards them with a gift card or a small bonus. In any case, celebrating wins and accomplishments is a crucial element in a company with a strong well-being culture.
5. Create A Virtual Social Environment
Isolation is an inevitable side effect of working from home. Even in companies where staff is slowly returning to the office, social distancing doesn’t facilitate small talk and socializing. Therefore, as a manager, you must give them alternative solutions to keep in touch safely. Many businesses use team chat applications or video conferencing tools to help coworkers stay connected. However, try not to overdo it. Considering that Zoom fatigue is already a common phenomenon, you don’t want to add extra pressure to their everyday schedule. Keep the meetings as light as possible and don’t force video interaction.
6. Provide Well-Being Support Services
Even if you have created an environment of openness and trust in your business, sometimes employees feel more comfortable talking to someone outside of the workplace. This is where an employee assistance program could prove useful. Through it, employees can contact experienced professionals who can offer a listening ear and the necessary support to overcome any challenge, whether it is health-related, financial, or professional. As a result, employees are motivated to seek solutions for their problems before they have a serious effect on their professional performance and overall well-being.
Lead The Way And Make A Difference…
Initiating activities and wellness programs is a great start, but it’s not enough. You should become a good example for your employees by participating in the well-being program you have created for them. Take advantage of the flexible workday, communicate and connect with your coworkers, take breaks during the day, use your PTO to recharge, work on your personal and professional development, and actively show them that you care about your own well-being as much as your care for theirs. Express your wellness needs and goals and create a safe environment for your employees to do the same. Following these tips, you can build a culture of well-being that encourages employees to take care of their mental and physical health and become better versions of themselves in their personal and professional lives.
Download Beating Burnout: The Ultimate Employee Wellness Guide For Remote Workforces to support and nurture your teams from afar.
