Organization’s Remote Work Environment - Are YOU Ready - For the Next Wave? (Part 2 of 3)

 

In the first part Organization’s Remote Work Environment - Are YOU Ready - For the Next Wave? (Part 1 of 3)

we have discussed:

• How COVID-19 led companies to provide remote working
• How an organization can benefit from having telecommuting

In this part we will discuss what needs to be Mitigated when incorporating a remote component into work environment.

Social Benefits

Telecommuting can damage some of the social benefits of the traditional office. We as humans are social beings and need to be around people.

Miscommunication

Leaders, Managers, Project Managers need team skills and effective leadership skills, or their virtual teams can become ineffective and dysfunctional.

Feeling of Being Left Out

Offsite team feeling left out when the core onsite team have “clicks” and meet without including the offsite teammates. When having an onsite meeting make an effort of using telecommunication to include your offsite teammates.

Burnout

Employees who telework may feel pressure to produce more output in order to be seen as valuable. Offsite employees work more in order to reduce the idea that they are doing less work than their onsite counterparts. Gallup, 2019, study found nearly 8 in 10 experience burnout on the job at least sometimes.

Not Feeling Safe Working on Site

Employees may not feel safe coming to work because of the air born viruses. That is why buildings will need to incorporate Smart Technology. To reduce the spread of airborne disease building will need to incorporate smart components, and sensors are enabling spaces with a high degree of flexibility and adaptability.

Health screening processes at entrances will need to be incorporated such as installing thermal imaging cameras to identify people with elevated temperatures.

Buildings will need to incorporate heavier filtration for building’s HVAC systems to minimize air born particles.

Buildings will also need to incorporate optimization of space use. Physical distancing of desks may need to be separated. Also, consideration should be taken at looking at shared spaces. Adherence to a strict cleaning regime between occupants would need to be incorporated.

Meeting rooms will need to indicate maximum meeting occupants and remind people of physical distancing policies.

Buildings will need to incorporate smart devices such as voice activated elevators, touchless devices and doorways.

Employees Well Being

Organization’s will need to handle employees increased complaints such as: musculoskeletal pains, a decreased focus on diet and wellbeing including increased alcohol consumption, more cases of poor sleep and increased risk of exhaustion and increased mental health issues with people who worked from home, according to How Your Office Space Impacts Employee Well-Being, 2019.

Mental and emotional support will need to be provided.

Organization’s would also need to provide meditation rooms, to programs like mindfulness classes, to policies on flexible work hours.

Security

Lack of secure policy and procedures result to customers/members Personal Information stollen. Rise in lawsuits and tarnished organization’s reputation. Organization’s already stretched IT would need to work overtime to mitigate these vulnerabilities.

In the final part of this series we will concentrate what organizations can do to incorporate a permanent remote component into work environment.