While employers may be concerned about the productivity challenges, many could overlook the fact that the line between work and their personal life can be more blurred than ever before. A concern about an employee’s productivity levels may even lead to employers piling more work on them, which may, in turn, cause them to work overtime and eat into their downtime.

Furthermore, there is a heightened risk of burnout as employees not only need to adapt to a different working structure, but also have to cope with uncertainty and significant changes the COVID-19 pandemic has brought about in their personal lives.

Instead of thinking of how your employees can do more, employers may want to think about what they can do for their employees. How they can provide a helping hand during these challenging times?

Here are some ways in which employers can support their staff in a remote working set up: 

By creating a daily work schedule, employees will be able to manage better and keep the hours they work in check, hence allowing both employers and employees to be more mindful of work-life balance.

Besides providing structure, adding flexibility to an employee’s work schedule, especially for working parents who are required to tend to their children’s home-based learning, can ensure employees are better able to cope with the demands of both their personal and work lives. This may lead to increased productivity and reduced stress levels in the workspace.   

Employees may have extra weight on their shoulders during such challenging times. It can thus be helpful for employees to know there is a listening ear should they need one, be it from a HR personnel, their supervisor or someone within their work circle. This can be done easily and informally via video conferencing or instant messaging apps.

Beyond simply checking in, employers may want to see if there is a way to extend a helping hand should their employees need one – be it on a personal level or through the company. Employers may also want to encourage all their employees to check in on one another more regularly during these uncertain times. 

Regular virtual social catchups can also help. Friday afternoons could be set aside for informal chats over video conferencing. It could be drinks or a games event. Whatever you decide the event should be an opportunity for employees to unwind and not discuss work.

As some employees may be hesitant to speak to someone in the company, employers may want to consider signing up for an Employee Assistance Programme, which includes workshops and professional counselling services. It will also help if employees are assured that any information disclosed during the session is strictly confidential. 

Besides extending a helping hand to employees, employers may want to encourage them to find ways to better support themselves outside of the workspace.

These include encouraging them to maintain a circle of social support by reaching out to family and friends regularly, to stay active and healthy or to even pick up a new skill through SkillsFuture with the $500 SkillsFuture Credit top-up they received. 

In a post-pandemic economy, remote working will become the norm for a vast majority of SMEs. While employers do want to ensure day-to-day tasks are completed and productivity remains high they do need to take into account their employee’s well-being. Understanding boundaries and keeping communication lines open are first and important step to creating work-life balance.