Remote work has its benefits but it also comes with its challenges. It can affect remote workers’ mental health.
In this article, you’ll find 3 common challenges remote workers face.
1. Isolation and Loneliness
Employees may feel isolated when their home suddenly becomes their office.
They miss their coworkers. They miss chit-chatting while having coffee or lunch together. They miss celebrating together.
This camaraderie doesn’t translate over Slack.
And they can feel lonely and isolated.
According to a Buffer Survey, 19% of remote employees report loneliness as their biggest challenge.
2. Anxiety and Stress
The boundary between work and home life blurs for people who work in the same place they sleep. They can feel pressure and stress.
People have to manage their time, to-do, house chores, family, and projects. They may feel anxious to ‘be on’ when they should be off.
3. Depression
Anxiety, stress, loneliness, and isolation can lead to depression. People feel stuck and it causes a loss of productivity.
They feel frustration, irritation, loss of interest, sleep disturbance, tiredness, restlessness, trouble concentrating, and physical problems.
Solutions
How can you take care of your remote employees? Here are some quick solutions:
1. Conduct mental well-being sessions where you can invite experts to talk to our employees.
2. Encourage employees to communicate and be open not just for work-related reasons, but for socializing, too.
3. Conduct Team building activities and have random fun conversations.
4. Help your employees to achieve work/life balance by encouraging them to take regular breaks to stretch, walk around, or get a healthy snack.
5. Encourage small-talk and personal conversations during work meetings. It’s a great way to know your employees’ personalities.
6. You can offer a wellness stipend, which can be used for anything from yoga classes to gym equipment. You can also gift fitness trackers to remote employees.
7. People may have to balance their family or housework with their work. Allow them flexible work hours (let them decide their working hours).
8. You must appreciate their good work. It could be a simple thank you note or a simple message on the company’s messaging platform or a shout out in an email.
9. You can check on their mental health by sending remote employee pulse surveys every month.
10. To support the mental health of remote workers, share helpful resources with your employees. You can send it out monthly in a company-wide email and post it on your blog.
Article originally published at Springworks Blog