5 Aspects To Consider When Working From Home (Wfh) In The Middle Of A Pandemic

There is primarily one major topic on everyone’s mind today and that is COVID-19 a.k.a. Corona Virus. Of course, we are talking about the deadly virus that has been plaguing the world for months now, and which has been declared by WHO as a pandemic. All governments, businesses and individuals in the world are affected by this. In that sense, the virus does not discriminate between status, color, religion or gender of its victims.

COVID-19 is the reason for what is likely to be a major financial crisis all over the world in the year 2020. In this current situation, there are widely two major aspects that one worries about: Financial/Economic status of countries and individuals and most importantly the Health and Safety of all human beings. Decisive measures have been taken by countries around the world including an unprecedented 21-day lockdown in India, a country of 1.3 Billion people. Similarly in UAE, the #STAY HOME campaign has gone viral, prompting most people to work from home. Thus, majority of the companies worldwide have shifted to Working-From-Home in the hopes of lessening the spread of the virus and ‘flattening the curve’ or ‘Breaking the Chain’.

In this unfamiliar territory of working from home, let us talk about how to make it effective.

There are five aspects that needs to be considered in ensuring an effective Work-From-Home for both the Employers and its Employees.

COMMUNICATION– In any type of business, communication is important in ensuring reliable information and sources, sustaining good relationships with clients, suppliers, etc. and besides, it is a basic human function.

There are a number of apps or modes a company can use to communicate with their staff remotely like Zoom, WhatsApp or Google Hangouts. Let’s use technology to stay connected.

Communication is the key. Repeat. Communication is the key. Each member of the company must be connected with their colleagues, clients and/or suppliers. This assures the best flow of information in all aspects of the business. Also, this assures good relationships among all the people involved in the business whether transactions are done remotely or in person.

DEDICATED WORK AREA AND EQUIPMENT– Rather than staying in your bedroom or couch, try and assign a specific area or room as your working area. It could be a certain table or chair – a place that you would like to call your ‘workspace’. Also, try and work when you are most productive. For example, If you are a morning person, try and start work early and go make your breakfast only when you need a break.

Another aspect to ensure is that sufficient data and IT infrastructure is available for each employee, to work with their data. Confidentiality of data is a key aspect to consider, when setting up policies related to this.

GET DRESSED AND PLAN YOUR DAY– If you want to feel productive, it is best to dress the part. Trying to be productive in your PJs may not be the best idea. If you have a report that you are trying to get out, you need to feel like you are in a working environment and dressing the part helps. Also map out your day just like you would in your office. Keep to-do lists, and constantly check on how you are doing against what you need to complete.

SETTING EXPECTATIONS AND REPORTING STRUCTURE– Now that the employers and employees will not see each other in person, there should be a list of expectations to be discussed to know what everyone’s role is in this. A daily or weekly goal can be given to the staff and evaluated by the managers as a way to make sure that work is done by all involved.

This is the time that leaders of the organization need to step up and impose certain rules and regulations that need to be followed. They say that when the cat is away, the mouse will play. Employers certainly do not want to let their employees to just ‘play’, right? And hopefully the employees do not want to be called ‘rats’. Moving along, these rules and regulations are critical in ensuring that goals are met, and work gets done.

An example for this could mean that leaders (managers) should schedule a daily check-in time with each employee, understand their weekly plans and monitor the status of projects they are working on.

LEADERS ROLE– Leaders of companies have a major role to play. They can encourage their team members by giving out productivity tips, showing their concern in regard to the health and wellness of each employee and also show empathy and compassion to each one. All of these are very helpful in conquering this uncertain crisis.

Paying attention to the above five aspects will help in creating an effective work from home atmosphere. Thus, business is not compromised, and everyone’s safety has been considered.

Moreover, in reality there could be instances that should be taken as an icebreaker. For example, during a video conference the daughter of your colleague turns up on the screen and says hi. This should be taken as a way to get to know your colleague and enjoy it. One might meet the pet they always talk about in the office or the husband/wife they have been gushing about.

Statistically speaking, according to Kate Lister, President of Global Workplace Analytics, working from home could even be more productive. The tendency for an employee ‘to send signals that they are working’ pushes them to work more. In comparison to being in the office when one can just sit on her desk and ‘pretend’ to be doing work. Some don’t even mind checking their mails on Friday! According to a 2011 study from Staples, it is found that those who work from home experience 25% less stress.

However, we should not forget that the current situation has come about because of the sad reality named Corona Virus. We have to always keep in mind that the reason for this is to be safe and healthy.

Enjoy these little things that the situation allows us to have. Above all, we should not forget that during this time, WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER. So, let’s stay safe, stay strong, and this too shall pass.