How To Help Your Employees Adjust To Working From Home

We are all witnessing a global crisis at the moment. Whether you are an owner of a small, mid-sized or a big company doesn't change the situation too much right now. We have all been advised to work from home in the upcoming weeks. This sudden change is difficult for both employers and employees, but it seems like business owners have an especially large challenge in front of them. If you are an entrepreneur, you probably know what we are talking about. It is now your job to help your employees adjust to working from home which will be a huge change in their everyday routine.

There is no doubt that the quarantine is difficult for all of us. By taking care of your business during the isolation period, you can avoid boredom, wasted hours, and the loss of productivity. Not to mention the economic benefits of keeping your business functional during the global crisis.

1. Give unconditional emotional support to your employees

Comparing office life to remote work is like comparing apples and oranges. Working from home will be a sudden change for your team members, and it's a change that is likely to come paired with feelings of loneliness and isolation. Even though it will be hard, business owners need to create a workplace that resembles a regular office day and where employees won't have to feel any negative emotions.

As a business owner, you can help by making yourself available to all of your employees throughout the day. Whether you decide to do that through instant messages or by establishing virtual office hours is up to you. As it turns out, you can create an accessible office space without working from an actual office.

2. A dress code should help your employees adjust to working from home

It's all too easy to forget about business attire when working from home - or any type of attire that doesn't involve sweats or PJs. But in order to keep the business morale up, the entire team needs to be dressed for success. Besides, this way, every employee will be ready for an improvised video call or conference. Pressing and urgent issues are a part of office life and that isn't likely to change when working from home replaces office life.

However, it might be difficult to control whether your employees are dressed for the occasion every time. All you can do is set a dress-code and hope your employees will abide by it. Those who do will witness the psychological benefits of looking professional, which will certainly help with the new situation.

3. Encourage your employees to have a dedicated workspace

What's the second-best thing after working in an office? It's working out of a home office! Unfortunately, a couch or a bed should not become a person's place of work. Experts say that those working from home should divide their living area to the one where they work and the one where they rest. Now, this is obviously easier said than done as not every person has the means for creating a home office.

That's why many companies have opted for offering large sums of money to help their workers create a productive and effective workspace. A dedicated workplace will help your employees adjust to working from home by enabling them to separate their business life from their personal one.

4. Daily check-ins should bring in a sense of normalcy

An average day at the office is filled with much more than just work. It also includes daily talks among coworkers, as well as regular face-to-face time with the manager. And that's one of the main things every employee will lack when having to work from home. As a business owner who is trying to sustain your business during these difficult times, you really need to keep your employees levelheaded, which is ultimately done by helping them feel normal.

Daily check-ins which can be done through Skype calls or instant messages will help you foster connections and maintain priorities. But it's equally important to keep an eye out on your own health and balance, as well. After all, nobody teaches you how to move your entire business if the need arises and keep your employees motivated on top of it.

5. It's mandatory for you to equip your team with tech and productivity tools

Last but certainly not least is equipping your team with all the necessary tools that will keep the regular workflow going. These tools include project management tools such as Airtable, messaging apps such as Slack, and video conferencing apps like Zoom. With these tools, everyone in the team will be able to stay on track and maintain proper communication.

These tools are already a staple with people who are trying to grow an online business and are working with a team of remote workers. They allow every person on the team to be involved in every project, ultimately connecting your employees and fostering good work relations. You might even realize their potential and decide to keep them around even after the isolation period ends. Or you might realize that this type of business model works wonders for your business and decide to keep it even after the crisis diminishes.

Working from home goes hand in hand with many benefits

If this was a major and sudden change in your business model, working from home can seem like an unmanageable task. In reality, it can be a productive time for every employee. What's up to you is to help your employees adjust to working from home and give them all the tools for doing so. Even if it turns out that office life is better suited for the entire company, at least you will all gain some valuable experience in the process. Rest assured that there will be fewer complaints and more motivation once everything returns to normal.