During these difficult times, we must remember that it is not only businesses and governments who are undergoing great uncertainty and pressure, but also, individuals and families, who need and expect support from their employers. 

After conversing with our corporate partners, in industries ranging from law and banking to advertising and publishing, we discovered some of the most successful initiatives which they have put in place to empower their remote workforce.

The following are some tips to support your employees in prioritising their physical and mental wellness, developing a healthy routine and staying motivated and focused.

Provide opportunities for social interaction

Working from home for a week may feel like a blessing, but doing this over an extended period of time can be challenging for those accustomed to interacting with their colleagues every day. Ensure that you have comms and tools in place to make your employees feel included and cared for. For instance, daily video calls to catch up with everyone can make a huge difference for morale. Why stop there? Use technology to your advantage and organise weekly, virtual team socials. This will do wonders for people’s mental health during isolation and ensure that the team remains bonded, while strengthening your people-focused culture. 

Establish a daily structure

Without supervision and the strict 9 to 5, it is very easy to lose all sense of structure and routine. This not only results in less productivity and focus, but can also create stress, anxiety and negatively impact mental health and motivation. Try setting designated times for people to share their daily stand-ups or sit-downs and also create other check-in points throughout the week. Remember, not all check-ins have to be work-related; why not organise a virtual team lunch every Wednesday for people to have something to look forward to?

Offer encouragement

It is important to understand that at times like this, individuals will have many reasons to be stressed, anxious and worried. Be open to these sorts of conversations and understand that you may need to make exceptions and provide flexibility around certain things. Often, employees will require additional help and guidance, so make sure you can direct them to suitable services like meditations, counselling and life coaching, which can help them be at their best personally and professionally. 

Enforce work-life balance

While the likelihood of under performance and distractions increases when working remotely, it is equally as likely that people will overwork due to blurred lines between office and home. This can result in burnout, low morale and diminishing productivity. Hence, companies must not only encourage, but enforce a healthy work-life balance. For instance, make sure you respect offline hours, avoid posting on work channels outside of designated times and recommend that people turn off work notifications after 5pm. Furthermore, set times for breaks and lunch to encourage people to take time-off throughout the day.

Provide tools to support  mental and physical wellness

As regulations with regards to staying at home become stricter,  it is crucial that employees find a way to unwind and release some steam while indoors. Experiences like online yoga, meditation and on-demand HIIT classes can be the best tools to relax and reset at any point of the day. In some instances, personal coaching and training may also be necessary to counter people’s frustrations with being stuck at home and seemingly less capable of achieving their wellness objectives. Ensure that you offer employees an easy way to access these tools and services virtually. 

Research has found that anxiety is contagious and indeed, the way your team reacts to these uncertain times, will be largely influenced by the general business response. You can support their well-being through positive reinforcement, a calm approach and overall, a people-focus. To discover how to offer on-line, personalised wellbeing to support your team, check out our national wellness campaign for healthier, happier humans. 

This article was written by the team at Go Sweat - the business redefining wellbeing at work with their market-place approach to connect local studios, spas, therapists and nutritionists, to companies looking for a genuine approach to wellness. Find out more about their platform here: https://hello.gosweat.com/home