Succeeding With Best Practices and Methodologies

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.

Having a Remote Work environment is a big undertaking for the organization.

In order to consume the best practices of incorporating remote work component into a company’s environment I created a multi series article.

In this part we will concentrate on:

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

Current Situation

A State of Emergency was declared and most likely your organization created an Emergency / COVID-19 Committee.

Much of the organization’s staff was moved remotely or the businesses closed out.

As things began to settle a bit, an Unpause Committee was formed.

What’s Next?

Most likely your organization did not have a culture or environment that is conducive to a remote workforce.

To be an innovative organization and a leader you’ll have to incorporating remote working environment.

Alignment of Business Objectives / Business Value to Goals and KPIs

Now it’s time to align Business Objectives / Business Value to your company’s Innovation Pillars.

Your Primary Objective should be putting your employees in the best possible place to deliver on expectations while giving the best service to your customers/members. And incorporate a permanent remote component into your work environment.

Secondary Objectives should be:

Have clear procedures, policies and a standardized plan in place for the ongoing potential of a limited access environment.

Create fairness across job functions while remembering that every position has needs that are different.

Provide employees with the appropriate tools, including training.

Ensure productivity while remote ability and flexibility is guaranteed.

Always be ready for the need for potential changes in focus, work shifts and roles.

Keep staff involved and connected in the process.

Align all remote components to your companies Goals and KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). If your organization has both Front Line and Back Office those are your key audience.

Employer of Choice

Incorporating Remote Working will give your organization a competitive advantage. This will make your company an Employer of Choice.

According to Gartner, 2020, organizations can differentiate themselves from competitors by being an Accelerated Trend Leader in Telecommuting.

Remote work is here to stay. Gartner analysis shows that 48% of employees will likely work remotely at least part of the time after the COVID-19 pandemic, compared to 30% pre-pandemic.

Work Life Balance

What does this mean to your employees?

• Better work life balance – with the emphasis on Life
• Time saved from not commuting
• Decreased in commuting costs
• Better improved ability to manage children & school
• More time for the family

Improved Productivity

According to a 2009 study by MIT's Sloan School, well-managed virtual teams can potentially outperform teams sharing a location.

Another research conducted by Global Work Place Analytics, 2018, showed teleworking or remote working has increased the productivity of employees by up to 40%.

Forbes, 2017, according to State of Work Productivity Report two-thirds of managers reporting an increase in overall productivity from their remote employees.

Managers who engage their employees create an average 15% productivity bump - would save the company up to $8,000 per employee. That's an annual $4 million premium, for 250 employee company, according to Gallup, 2020.

Even Federal Government Going It

Federal Government with the bloating bureaucracy is leading in terms of Telecommuting with the signing of Telework Enhancement Act of 2010 into law. It provided a framework for U.S. agencies to offer teleworking as a viable option to employees. By increasing the number of employees who telework, the Telework Enhancement Act has three main objectives. 1) Improve continuity of operations, 2) Promote management Effectiveness and 3) Enhance work-life balance.

Reduction Operating Costs

Organizations will have reduction in operating costs. By reducing the office footprint and reduction in parking space footprint. A typical employer can save about $11,000 per year for every person who works remotely half of the time, Global Workplace Analytics.

Fewer Employee Sick Days

American Management Association (AMA), 2018, reveals that teleworking programs contribute to a 63% reduction in unscheduled absentees. The benefit is that if a sick person comes into the office there is the real chance of infecting others. This places a large pressure on workforce productivity because in offices the common cold, and other viral diseases, spreads very quickly infecting significant portions of teams and the workforce. And now more than ever with COVID-19 the results are much more sever.

Empowering Woman

If your business has a strong telecommuting program, you have a better chance of keeping women who are thinking of motherhood and those who are already have children at your company. By incorporating a remote work component into a company’s environment you are helping these women achieve their full potential. Now they don’t have to choose between Work or Family.

Lower Levels of Stress

According to Psychology Today.com, 2015, communing can be a major cause of stress. This is due to its unpredictability and a sense of loss of control. During commute commuters experience boredom, social isolation, road rage, and frustration from problems like traffic or delays.

Go Green for the Planet

Remote home is Environmentally Friendly. It reduced carbon footprint.

Decreased Chance of a Motor Accident

According to the Federal Highway Commission, 2018, the average number of miles per car accident for the average US driver is 165,000 of which 1 in 77 car accidents is fatal. A typical 30 miles per day commute would bring to 241,500 miles. This would mean an avoidance of car accidents and potentially saving employees life.

Next part in this series I will describe what organizations need to Mitigate when incorporating a remote component into its work environment.