The increased number of employees working from home today has led to a new way of working and a new way to manage the workforce. Additionally, concerns about employees’ productivity and mental well-being have also increased. In many instances, working from home has improved productivity. But it has also led employees to work longer hours. This can cause employees to neglect work-life balance and experience burnout or depression.  Here is how to make work-from-home more enjoyable for your employees.

Remote work also leads to new levels of stress, which is caused by various factors, such as the challenges experienced by working parents. If left unmanaged, stress can compound into more serious mental health issues.  

As an employer, you can make your employees’ work from home more enjoyable and bolster their mental well-being in the following ways.  

Create New Communication Channels  

Create new communication channels using various methods, such as Slack for instant messaging, Zoom for video conferencing, and email for weekly project updates. Also, encourage your employees to seek you out with any concerns or questions they may have.  

Don’t Forget Milestones  

Set aside time or practices for celebrating employee milestones, such as work anniversaries, birthdays, and whatever is most relevant to your company culture. Maintain a positive atmosphere and boost camaraderie among employees and teams in the process. 

Prioritize Employee Well-Being 

• While most businesses maintain health insurance for employees, mental health isn’t always recognized as a priority. Workplace mental well-being transcends to those employees working from home who may be at risk of burnout, anxiety, and insecurity.  
• Create a well-being policy that specifically addresses mental health. Offer a complete Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with access to counseling, financial, and legal resources to help alleviate stress. 
• Recognize individual employee needs. Working parents, especially with small children, will need your support with flexible scheduling and childcare options. 
• Offer alternative methods for bolstering mental health, such as online classes in yoga, mindfulness, and medication. 
• By putting in place new measures to help make your employees’ work from home more enjoyable, you can help alleviate negative impacts, achieving the work-life balance and mental well-being they need.