Businesses aren’t suddenly hiring remote employees; they’re compromising with a pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced millions to work from home and create stability where there was none before. In the worst-case scenario, many have lost their jobs and are fighting to keep their heads above water to pay their bills.
During rough times, it’s important to have your work team’s support. Challenges in life are to be expected, but when you throw in a situation that no one’s prepared for, it’s bound to wreak havoc.
With the pandemic causing so much stress and anxiety, it’s crucial that you take care of your mental health. It’s hard enough maintaining your calm when there’s so much to worry about. But you and your colleagues could be the positive change that the workplace needs and demonstrate firsthand what caring for others looks like.
If you want to support your team’s wellbeing from a distance, here are a few tips to help you get started.
Eliminate the Stigma
There’s so much stigma surrounding mental health that many people don’t feel comfortable talking about it, especially at work. Oftentimes, employees are afraid that voicing their concerns will lead to a lost job or judgment from others.
If it’s challenging to come forward with mental health issues in person, then it’s definitely difficult to do so when working from home.
You can support your team by eliminating the stigma and talking about it openly. The more transparent you are about the subject, the less of a big deal it becomes. Communicate openly with your employees and let them know they can come to you with any questions or concerns regarding their wellbeing.
Offer Flexibility
If you’re a business owner, it’s your responsibility to do what’s best for your employees. Only essential workers are expected to go into work, given they’ve taken the necessary precautions. If your company isn’t involved in essential work, then you must offer flexibility to your team.
Since the pandemic, schools have closed and most businesses are on hiatus until further notice. All of a sudden, parents are responsible for homeschooling their children and juggling work tasks indefinitely. With so much uncertainty, the one thing you can do for your employees is to provide surefire flexibility.
Offering flexible options means working with employees to ensure their workload and hours don’t get in the way of other responsibilities, such as childcare. Practice open communication with your team about your expectations. The more informed they are, the more productive they’ll be.
Provide Resources
If you’re in charge of your company, that means it’s your responsibility to equip your team with the tools they need to prosper. Similar to how you’d provide onboarding resources for new employees, you can do the same during the pandemic for existing employees. If you expect them to succeed and make money, then you need to set them up for success.
Create an online wellness program to educate your team and provide them with resources. Giving them the tools they need will help bring your business success and allow your team to feel closer during this challenging time.
You can also create a membership for your team to join so they don’t miss out on a sense of community while quarantined. Set up communication tools and video conferencing apps to ensure everyone stays connected and productive.
Host Video Chats
As people stay inside and avoid social interactions, they miss out on the normal human experience. Humans are social beings, and as such, we aren’t used to staying indoors for long periods and avoiding consistent contact.
As your team continues to work from home, make sure they have the remote tools they need to continue communication with other employees. This not only boosts productivity and collaboration, but it also keeps your team in a tight-knit community.
Use video conferencing to see faces, share updates, and relax with your colleagues. It’ll help to boost morale and wellbeing to connect with others face-to-face and hold real-time conversations.
Back to You
During this trying time, it’s more important than ever to be there for our employees and work colleagues. The only way to be involved in a thriving business is to cater to its employees and take care of their wellbeing, especially during a pandemic. How will you support your team right now?