One of the outcomes from COVID-19 pandemic is the expansion of “working from home”. As many companies and businesses were ordered restrictions for use of their office or working spaces, large numbers of employees were asked to work from home.

Many jobs, of course, cannot be performed from home. You may laugh, but think of it for a moment: an airplane pilot, a driver, plumber, factory operator, mechanic, electrician, waiter, fire fighter, a surgeon, and similar occupations that require the actual person on site. On the other hand, those of us that predominantly use a computer or the telephone in our job can work from home fairly easily. Add in some WIFI, and bingo… you are in business.

The move to work from home should, in principle, benefit both the employer and the employee. There are, however, some caveats and success factors. Working closely with my clients over the last six months, I noted that in general,  employees that implemented “work from home” quickly with little preparation faced some challenges, while the ones who did more planning and preparation did much better.

Here are some key observations and suggestions for both sides, the employers, and the employees, to make working from home more successful.

For employers, the work from home provides an opportunity to trim office space, lower organizational costs and reduce turn-over. Attracting qualified candidates that could not apply because of a long commute can now join the ranks if they can work from home. Mixing your work force with full timers and part timers provides added flexibility and may result in increased productivity and lower costs.

Employers do need to set a “work-from-home or—anywhere” policy that clarifies working hours (strict or flexible) and use of private or public networks, you also have to make sure that employees have the adequate technology tools, including computers, phones, internet service, etc. One of the most needed requirements and benefits is clarity around productivity levels. Working from home can lead to a greater measurement in terms of the quantity and quality of work produced, which is a key benefit to the employer. The more you tie compensation to performance, the better you can control and influence your profitability and the return on your labour costs.

Working remotely may seem great at first because of the convenience of working from home and the lack of commuting, but over a long period of time, it may backfire in terms of employee loneliness, isolation, and disengagement. Jobs that require frequent collaboration and interaction will suffer from the lack of face-to-face contact. ZOOM, GOTOMEETING, Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts, and other services offer great video conferencing tools, but they cannot match the real face-to-face interaction and touch.

One of my clients scheduled a Friday Happy Hour time where employees join in a video call just for sharing personal stories, events, and subjects of general interest. No work-related discussions are allowed.  Another client had managers increase their weekly telephone calls with employees to avoid relying solely on emails to communicate. A third client organized special “working lunch meetings” where lunch was delivered for a virtual lunch meeting. These initiatives helped keep the team members focused, motivated, and engaged.

For employees, working from home may initially appear as a great benefit, but it also necessitates some planning including a separate workspace with minimum disruptions, an organised time schedule, and heightened awareness of potential distractions. Working from home obviously requires the right technological tools and more reliable and costly WIFI service. In addition, we all have different working styles.  Some people prefer working in solitude. They require quiet surroundings and few interruptions to produce, while others need the stimulation and connection with others to be productive.

Protecting “life work balance” is one of the most important issues for employees to watch so that employers do not abuse of their availability. It is so easy to fall into the trap of being available almost 24/7.

As you can see, not one size fits all. With good and open communication between manager and employee, you can arrive at a WIN-WIN solution—in your home office, or back at your employers’ workplace.