As the COVID-19 pandemic takes its course, organizations have scurried to fit into the changes it has wrought to the work environment. Consequently, the building blocks of any organization, its employees, have had to adopt accordingly. XpertHR dives into the exactly what the pandemic’s implications are as remote work takes precedence.
Being present in office for long hours before the pandemic was perceived as a sign of being a committed worker. The remote work phenomenon ever since the pandemic started, has taken the world by a storm. Not only has the definition of where work is done has changed, but also how it is done.
The percentage of remote workers for at least some part of the time, is set to nearly triple from 12% before the COVID-19 pandemic to 30% after the pandemic as per the new XpertHR Survey on Employer Response to COVID-19.Opens a new window As per the survey 51% were already working remotely in the current phase of the crisis.
A large majority of the organizations have been tip-toeing around the issue of remote work. A few of them had defined policies before the pandemic and by most others it was treated as a benefit to be provided to the employees when required. Today it is no longer about what the employee needs, but what the organization needs in order to remain operational. Remote work has ensured that work has not suffered as much as it would have, if companies were forced to shut down due to safety concerns and no provision for virtual working.
Can Remote Work Retain Its Position Going Forward?
As per the report there are some important measures that employers are taking to support the wellness of their employees. This includes offering flexible work schedules to allow for caregiving or home-schooling. These options have been provided by 70% of the responding employers. The focus on these measures seems to indicate the approach companies plan to take for the future.
While remote work is rising and will remain the primary way of work for more employees than ever before, it is critical to note that there are also issues that are emerging due to prolonged periods of working this way – social isolation, ‘Zoom’ or video call fatigue, disbalanced work-life and lack of connection with peers.
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Rising Challenges Due to Remote Work
There are several challenges that need to be pre-empted and planned for by organizations.
Social Isolation
Reportedly, as productivity of employees rises in a remote work setup, correspondingly, so are mental health issues. So, what does this paradox mean? It means that employees are working more than ever and aiming to exceed their goals, albeit alone and without social interactions with colleagues. The natural implication being mental wellness concerns. Many employees also feel isolated due to lack of adequate support and feedback from their managers about their performance. Regular feedback and interactions with colleagues are frequent, maybe informal in a workplace, but for remote workers, this has to become a planned practice.
Video Call Fatigue
There has been a drastic increase in video calls and that is resulting in some level of fatigue. So while companies have shifted structurally towards remote work, the required cultural changes such as empowering the employees or not micro-managing their work have yet to take place. That results in more and more meetings to take updates. Defining the time-frames for video calls as well as durations, can make them more productive without compromising on their health and resulting in disengagement.
Disbalanced Work-Life
Managers need to adopt a more caring attitude towards their workers. There is a need to understand that they have multiple responsibilities thrusted upon them in a short span of time. This is especially true for working mothers. Without manager trust and support, such employees are likely to either burnout or become disengaged and remain that way until they can leave the organization.
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Employers can implement remote work for the long term due to its obvious advantages. But without a clear plan to address the challenges that will result from it, remote work might not remain as valuable an option as it could be.
Note – XpertHR’s Survey on Employer Response to COVID-19 was conducted from July 28, 2020, to August 14, 2020, and published on September 11, 2020. The survey includes the responses from 835 US employers of various industries and workforce sizes. The total estimated number of employees of responding organizations is 1,095,245.