There’s no such thing as a perfect job or a perfect workplace. Many workers often have to grapple with unpaid overtime, a demanding workload, and an utter lack of work-life balance. These problems often result in high turnover rates, which, in turn, affect a business’ output and bottom line.
For business owners, few things are more stressful than dealing with unmotivated employees. Employees that drag their feet don’t just affect team dynamics. They can also have an impact on your company’s overall performance, especially if they happen to be in a customer-facing role.
So, what does remote work have to do with all of this? Apart from the fact that it’s going to be the norm moving forward (in jobs where it would be possible, that is), many employees report higher satisfaction rates with the set-up on average.
Clearly, there are some key takeaways here. Now, whether you’re going back to the office or adopting a hybrid set-up, let’s take a look at what makes remote work such an appealing option for many employees – and how we can apply these to our office setups.
Work Flexibility
The 9-5 schedule was the norm for so long. Prior to the pandemic, employees used to drag themselves out of bed in the morning just to catch the train or avoid the rush hour traffic. This is no longer a problem now, thanks to the remote work setup.
Working from home made it possible for people to earn a living without sacrificing family time. Thus, pushing for work flexibility can go a long way. It won’t just motivate your key staff to stay, but it can also attract new talents.
Taking Breaks
Clear boundaries are critical to a successful WFH set-up. These actually enable better productivity and mental health. While you do need to monitor your staff’s performance, don’t forget to remind them to take a break every once in a while.
Your staff should feel free to take a walk, have a quick break, or to log out even for just a few minutes every day. Try limiting discussions and meetings as well to avoid Zoom fatigue. You may also want to focus more on your team’s performance and results rather than how much time they spend at work. The latter is proving to be a highly outdated (and toxic) metric, after all.
Remember, burned out and overworked remote workers hardly ever produce good results, at least not for long.
Healthier Food Options
Another remote work benefit is additional kitchen time. Since we no longer have to commute, we now have extra time to prepare our own meals. It’s certainly healthier than running off to the nearest fast food chain.
This is another reason why many prefer the WFH routine over going back to the office, especially when it’s easier than ever to make healthy and quick recipes with pantry staples.
If this isn’t an option in your office or workplace, you can set up an office pantry with a microwave or fridge. It might encourage your employees to bring their own packed lunch so they have more control over what they eat.
Ergonomic Furniture
Prolonged sitting can be hard on the body. Thus, lots of employees complain about back pains, whether they work from home or not.
Fortunately, the WFH setup also allows us to design our own perfect home office, enabling us to invest in ergonomic furniture. More comfortable chairs and tables is yet another reason why many remote workers prefer WFH.
Thus, if you have the budget for it, you may want to consider replacing the furniture in your office. Otherwise, there are other ways to make your workplace more conducive to better well-being.
Empathy and Understanding
The remote work setup has blurred the line between our professional and personal lives. We are now more familiar with what our team members’ personal spaces look like. Crying kids and barking dogs often make an appearance.
Hence, this is the best time for you as a leader to exhibit empathy and understanding towards your remote workers. Be mindful of team members in difficult situations and cut them some slack accordingly. As long as they deliver, that should be more than enough.
Taking care of your employees, whether onsite or remote, will always pay off. Remote work is here to stay and soon enough, many companies will either adopt a full remote setup or develop a hybrid work model. Whichever set up you go with, it’s always a good idea to be one step ahead of the game.
Remote Staff has been providing support and assistance to AU entrepreneurs like you via skilled remote workers from the Philippines since 2007. Aside from hiring and onboarding, we also provide sound advice to help you manage your remote teams as smoothly as possible.
Call us today or schedule a call back to get started.
Serena has been working remotely and writing content for the better part of the last decade. To date, she's written for Pepper.ph and Mabuhay Magazine, among others, and has churned out more than a thousand articles on everything from The Basics of Stock Market Investing to How to Make Milk Tea-Flavored Taho at home. Hermits, aspiring hermits, and non-hermits with interesting project propositions may email her at serena.estrella10@gmail.com.
