It’s a weekday and Jeff, the director of technology at Economical Insurance, kisses his daughter and waves goodbye as she enters the doors of her public school. Then, he either turns the car around and returns home for a day of remote work, or he continues on to his office, where his hours are flexible — he just needs to keep his boss in the loop.
Helping Remote Workers Avoid Loneliness and Burnout
Flexible and remote work policies are becoming increasingly popular with employees, increasing job satisfaction and decreasing stress, particularly for parents with children at home. But, remote and flex work also present new challenges for managers. People using flex or remote policies often feel indebted to their employers, which can lead them to keep their foot on the gas until they run out of fuel. For this reason, leaders need to check in often with remote employees. The biggest struggle to working remotely is often loneliness. Managers can combat loneliness by establishing an “in the office” day, when remote employees are encouraged to come in. For further-flung members of the team who can’t come in weekly, make the investment to bring them to the office monthly or quarterly. Face-to-face time builds quality relationships, enabling trust and speed in communications. Having opportunities to be together is a quality investment.