• by Vikram Gajjala

The New Norm WFH (Work from Home)

The harsh effects of the Coronavirus pandemic forced many companies to adjust their usual way of working. To remain operational, many companies have adopted work from home programs where employees work remotely. Some global company examples include, Apple, Google, Facebook, and Microsoft developed remote work plans for their employees around the globe.

These firms have also invested in the latest technology to help employees successfully adapt and thrive while working remotely. Microsoft’s own Microsoft Teams tool helped in the transition. This tool is a widely used suite of products such as video, audio conferencing, document sharing, chat functions and more. The tool creates a centralized system for workers to share files and work together despite being thousands of miles apart.

In this article, we shall dive into what it takes to set up a work from home program and the advantages to the business. Keep reading to learn more.

Technology Has Been Key in Helping New Remote Workers Transition Easily into Work from Home Programs

Before the pandemic, some companies had already started incorporating work from home programs. A good example is F5. At F5, they created flexible work-from-home arrangements to boost employee motivation and improve their work-life balance. Flexibility was critical in helping them to make this new work plan a success. They also created programs that dealt with the challenges of working remotely. For example, they have Slack channels where the employees can easily interact with one another to beat isolation.

SquareFoot is another company that created Slack channels to address the feeling of isolation in the staff working remotely. The Slack channels allowed them to share pictures when they were working from the comfort of their home. Zoom and Microsoft Teams have also been key tools in helping remote workers stay connected with coffee chats and virtual lunches.   

Advantages of the Work from Home
These are the factors that will keep the remote work from home programs active for a long time for businesses worldwide.

1. They Provide Employees with A Better Work-Life Balance

The main advantage of working from home is a flexible schedule. Some employees have the freedom to set their start times and log off times as they wish. This provides many remote workers with a better chance of striking an optimal work-life balance by planning their work time and family or personal time. For example, a remote worker can wake up early, prepare and take the kids to school, pass by the gym, and then settle down to work. This is unlike before when they had to be at work between 9.00 am-5.00 pm

2. Employees Enjoy Less Stress

The average one-way commuting time in the U.S. is estimated to be about an hour every day. Just think of how much time is spent just getting to and from work.  However, time wasted in traffic is not the only advantage. Commuting to and from work for longer distances has been found to cause high blood sugar levels, high cholesterol levels, and a greater risk of depression, heart disease and strokes, all of which are detrimental to your health.

3. Considerable Money Savings

Working from home saves people a lot of money that would have gone to gas, car maintenance, transportation, a professional wardrobe, lunch, and more. By working from home, you put a lot of money back in your pocket. Companies who have remote workers also realize considerable savings and enjoy reduced overheads like rent and employee-related expenses like office equipment, furniture and more.

4. Positive Environmental Impact

In the United States, an estimated 3.9 million employees began working remotely when the Coronavirus pandemic started. This reduction of commuting significantly reduced greenhouse gas emissions. According to research by the University of East Anglia (UEA), University of Exeter and the Global Carbon Project, the global COVID-19 lockdowns caused fossil CO2 emissions to decline by approximately 2.4 billion tons in 2020. Remote working has definitely had a substantial positive impact on the environment.

5. Employers Have a Bigger Pool of Talent to Choose From

Unlike a traditional work set-up where the quality of staff skills was limited by a company’s location, with the new work from home set up, a company can hire qualified staff from anywhere in the world. There is also the advantage of business being operational 24/7 because staff are in different time zones. This is a great win for businesses.

How to Succeed with Work from Home Programs in Your Business
If your business is contemplating to create work from home programs and embracing the new norm that is remote working, follow these best practices to increase your chances of success!

1. Set Up an Information Command Center and Chief Communicator. 

Working remotely means employees need to communicate more than ever. By not being in a central place, there are high chances that information will not reach everyone. Having a command centre and a chief communicator can help to keep all your employees in the loop. In addition, it can be a place to address concerns or challenges they may be facing.
 

2. Set Realistic Expectations at the Beginning

Most of the firms that have embraced work from home programs usually hope to achieve two objectives, i.e., ensure their employees stay safe and healthy and maintain reasonably "decent" levels of productivity. However, it is a new concept for employees which means that the company will need time to adapt and be successful. Therefore, having unreasonable expectations on achieving higher productivity levels immediately should be discouraged.

3. Observe High-Security Standards.

Safe remote work processes should be included in work from home programs. For remote workers safety is needed in securing their laptops, desktops, and tablets from security breaches and other technical issues.

Conclusion

Remote working is the new norm and it is here to stay. Understanding accepting and making work in your favour should be the way forward.