Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Trends for 2022: Remote Working
It’s fair to say we’ve all seen the posts on LinkedIn where you’re asked to vote with one of the reaction symbols on whether you prefer office working to remote working. There have been numerous stories circulating in the media about employees winning court cases over denied home working and flexibility. There are a plethora of opinions on how we should work, where we should work, and the hours we should do from a wide variety of people. However, whatever one’s opinion is, remote working is an indefinite ED&I trend for 2022.
Like other emerging ED&I trends, remote working has been catapulted to our HR forefronts due to the pandemic and how it has forced businesses to adapt. With the risk of spreading COVID-19, it became a legal obligation to work at home (if your role permits) in order to reduce the number of COVID-19 cases rising. Now, however, many businesses have adopted this working approach and are offering employees at the very least, the option to work from home two days a week, also known as hybrid working. There are other businesses who resist the remote working phenomenon on the basis of wanting to make use of their office spaces, not trusting the employees to do the work or being apprehensive towards business change. Forbes reported that 87% of employees who have worked remotely during the pandemic would prefer to continue doing so. Many employees from various industries have reported positive effects of home/remote working that they did not anticipate.
People have felt that this forced adaptation to working life has actually allowed them to be more productive due to being in a less distracting environment. In the office, naturally, there is a social element to work in having colleagues who are also friends chatting at desks, tea breaks, and impromptu questions or favours that take priority suddenly, thus delaying scheduled work. Remote or home working however allows for employees to work more productively and intensely at intervals. It also gives an opportunity for a better work-life balance. Workers can give attention to their children and house responsibilities such as cooking, cleaning and collecting packages. The statistic reported by Forbes is therefore not at all surprising showing that there are undeniable benefits for employees that derive from home working.
These benefits lead to employees feeling more satisfied at work, due to having their needs met and therefore means that their companies also reap benefits of becoming more inclusive. It is common knowledge that satisfied employees translate into higher employee engagement and subsequently, a more productive and empowered workforce with a sense of belonging. There are however some factors that organisations need to consider when introducing remote working:
Equipment, Infrastructure, and Collaboration Tools
It is important to ensure that all employees have the equipment and resources they need in order to work from home. Having a fully kitted laptop and desk screen is the first obvious port of call, followed by ensuring that the employee has all the applications and programs they need. Collaboration tools such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Workspace, and Slack are essential tools to use so that colleagues can sync with each other. This will allow for teams to communicate and combine work tasks as well as meetings in real-time. Useful task and project management tools can be used such as Trello where you can work with colleagues on various projects, share files, comments and ideas. Loom is another additional tool that would assist with remote working in being a video sharing platform where users can record their screens whilst talking over. This is excellent for instruction videos, demonstrations and interactive learning.
Employee Engagement
It is also imperative that an organisation provides strong internet access for employees who need to access shared drives or portals. Organisations may want to perform DSE assessments virtually to ensure their employees are comfortable and not at risk of sustaining injuries from poor posture, inadequate equipment or setup. Making employees comfortable, even when they are working remotely is essential in attaining high employee engagement. As well as protecting their physical health through DSEs, it is key that managers are trained and given the appropriate tools to help employees who are experiencing poor mental health and to prevent declining mental health of employees where possible.
Although there are countless benefits to remote working for both employees and the company, there is the risk that remote workers may feel isolated. Spill is an online platform leading the way for virtual mental health services for companies that can help fortify against this risk. It offers digital therapy sessions, moodcheckers, culture guides, and psychology courses.
Asynchronous Working
Synchronous work is done at the same time. Asynchronous work is not done at the same time. This means that teams focus on output, rather than working simultaneously or doing set hours, such as the traditional 9-5 pm. We at Can?Did take an asynchronous approach to work within our team which allows for a healthy work-life balance and for the team to focus on their preferred way of working which increases productivity.
Asynchronous working is something to consider since employees will be working from home which eliminates travel time to and from work. This means that there may be a spill-over effect on working hours. For example, many employees may start earlier due to not needing to travel, or later if they have to do the school run. Giving employees the option to have flexible hours is paramount in predicting the future success of the business. This collaborative approach to home working creates employee loyalty to the business, by demonstrating that their livelihoods matter to the business.
If your business needs assistance with implementing a home/remote working policy, send us a message here.