The rapid spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) across the globe has been making a resounding impact not only on people’s personal lives, but also on the economic level.
Major movers and shakers in the global economy like Apple, Google, and Microsoft have already shifted to work-from-home arrangements in an attempt to protect its employees from exposure to the virus. It’s a sensible strategy, but many still have questions about the effectiveness of working remotely.
Indeed, telecommuting requires a significant adjustment, especially for companies and employees that are still more accustomed to operating within physical office spaces.
It’s important for organizations to be aware, first and foremost, of the potential pitfalls that can impede the usual pace and rate of productivity from their employees. Here’s a list of common challenges associated with working from home, as well as the simple measures that can be taken to overcome them:
Distractions at home
Whether it’s the TV or your family expecting you to become more involved with responsibilities around the household, it’s always a thousand times easier to get distracted at home. Finding instant focus is hard, and even when you do find them, sustaining those stretches is another challenge entirely.
What you can do: Set up a dedicated space (preferably a quiet room) exclusively for work. Talk with your family members and other people sharing your household to explain your need for privacy and quiet during your intended working hours. Find a balance by tending to the needs of your family during your break hours and at the end of your work day.
Your workspace might be too comfortable
One of the biggest temptations when working from home is the call of the couch, or worse, your bed. Getting in the mood to work is a real challenge when you are in an environment that you associate with rest and relaxation.
Ironically, working on a fluffy bed or sofa for hours at a time can lead to back pain and discomfort. You might be more prone to back problems as a result of slouching in front of your computer too much.
There’s a reason office furniture are designed the way they are. Ergonomics are a crucial element in the sizes and forms that they come in. They are designed to protect your body from posture problems.
When you work from home, though, it’s easy to slouch or get into positions that are not good for your spine.
What you can do: Find areas in your house with a proper desk and a chair that will keep you seated upright. Sit up straight and observe proper posture, instead of allowing yourself to slouch, lean or lie flat on your back.
Productivity issues
Working from home is a privilege. And unfortunately there’s little you can do but to do your best work despite trust issues in the beginning. Trust will eventually return as you and your team adjust and prove to be productive even if work is done remotely.
If you can’t wait until that happens, tell them about this 2014 Stanford study, which revealed that telecommuting can not only boost productivity, but also reduce attrition rates and even rent.
What you can do: Silence your doubters. Work hard and let your output speak for itself.
Finding a balance
When you do manage to overcome distractions and the temptation to procrastinate, you also must be wary of the risk at the other end of the spectrum: doing too much work in one sitting.
Having no clear separation between work and home life can put you in a steady, uninterrupted state of flow. That’s a great thing, but it could also lead you to doing too much and burning yourself out. Remember to pace yourself and keep yourself in peak condition to continue doing more great work the next day.
What you can do: Plot out a daily work schedule. Stick to it with the help of simple and user friendly remote work tools like QTime. Created for convenient use on either web or mobile browsers, QTime is a free tool for employees to track their work hours, while also providing employers with a reliable means to monitor team attendance and productivity.
Isolation
One of the more significant psychological effects of shifting to a remote work routine is being separated from the people you usually interact with in the office. It may take a while to adjust to the lack of physically present teammates and colleagues. You might even have to deal with bouts of loneliness from time to time.
Don’t let the pronounced sense of isolation overwhelm you, however. You and your peers may be physically far apart, but you always have means to stay connected, whether it’s by email or your work chat groups.
What you can do: Keep tabs with your teammates and colleagues through your official (or unofficial) chat channels. Just be mindful about getting carried away with irrelevant conversations when you’re on the clock.
You can’t stop worrying about COVID-19
While you’re trying to get used to your new working environment at home, it may be hard to ignore the reason you’re there in the first place. As the coronavirus outbreak increases its impact worldwide, it’s only normal to feel anxious about it.
At the end of the day, however, take comfort in the fact that you are safe and secure in your home. With digital technology enabling telecommuting arrangements, you can carry out your regular productive routines.
What you can do: Focus on getting work done while making sure to practice proper hygiene and other prescribed precautionary measures against the virus. Take care of your mental health as well by having personal quiet time and doing fun things with your family.
By keeping these challenges in mind – both at the level of the managers and of the employees – necessary measures can be taken in advance to prevent significant drop-offs in productivity as teams are advised to work from home. The technology that enables these innovative working practices are all around us. It’s just a matter of finding what works best.
We hope these tips helped you, and that your team stays productive during these difficult times.
To get instant access to QTime’s free time tracking app, visit qtimesoftware.com.