Human capital is the backbone of any successful enterprise. This is even more highlighted during the imposition of community quarantines across the country where the majority of the industries and their workforce shifted from face-to-face to remote working. Their intangible contributions – abilities to provide creativity and innovation – are greatly challenged.
But unlike any other capital expenditures, the workforce does not belong to fixed assets. Unless organizations find effective yet cost-efficient ways to keep them, higher levels of voluntary departures will be observed.
One way to build a competitive advantage for your organization is to improve your corporate wellness. This includes ensuring the health status and well-being of your employees, as well as assessing if they are still in perfect shape to perform tasks that require in-demand skills cultivated through workplace-based training.
Investing in employees’ well-being in return for their expertise and hard work will be worth it for several reasons:
Increased productivity, morale, and motivation
Reduced presenteeism and absenteeism
Ensured employee loyalty
Improved brand value or reputation
Increased chances of attracting top talents
Here’s a shortlist of how to support workers working remotely during this pandemic:
Remote workers reported high-stress levels compared to office workers. With never-ending meetings and over-the-top deadlines, either burnout or procrastination (or can be both!) will affect the performance of the employees. This proves that organizations must invest in programs and policies that will boost employee wellness and engagement while at home. Below is the list of essential provisions employers may consider:
1. Communication and Collaboration tools
Meeting face-to-face is already outdated with the rise of communication and collaboration tools such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and Slack, among others. Giving them access to these conferencing tools can help them cope up with the work from home set up.
Access to these also promotes safe digital collaboration among employees and teams, allowing them to get work done easier.
But before anything else, ensure that your workers are fit to use these tools since some of these require setting up email accounts for a smooth user experience.
2. Communication allowance
Even checking e-mails require internet connectivity. While employees save much from transportation fees, they allocate more funds to pay electricity and internet expenses. To vouch for this, it is reasonable to facilitate decent and portable access to an internet connection, except for those who already have unlimited broadband installed in their homes prior to the change of setup.
However, as the internet opens more avenues for employee distraction, the Human Resources department will need to take a more educated and proactive role in managing the employees’ internet use.
3. Strict observance of work hours to ensure their work-life balance
Setting a fine line between work hours and rest or recreation is something most in the workforce strive to achieve.
The imbalance of work and life can have a serious, negative impact on employees not just on their workplace performance, but also on their relationship with others and overall health.
Corporations can help improve work-life balance by encouraging employees to avail their annual leave, considering an output-based salary scheme to allow them to work around their important commitments, review their workloads regularly, and even providing basic health insurance would be a welcome initiative.
4. Checking on mental health
Employers should help decrease the stigma surrounding mental health. Feel emphatic and see things from the perspective of your employees.
Imploring design thinking would be a critical approach for Human Resources to swiftly transition and improve employee wellness amidst the changing business environment.
Consider this:
A year and a half into the pandemic, the future for doing business remains unclear due to the severity of its effects. It is, therefore, high time for organizations to prepare and embrace a more permanent remote-work landscape with higher regard to the wellness of employees.
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Here at Prevo, we help you pioneer an employee-centered organization anchored on ensuring the wellness of the workforce.