COVID-19 cases have been rising rapidly once again in all 50 states as the more contagious Delta variant spreads, particularly within unvaccinated communities. As a result, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has changed its guidance to once again recommend that even vaccinated people resume wearing face masks indoors in areas of the country with high and substantial coronavirus spread. Key to the CDC decision was a study that shows fully vaccinated people can still transmit the Delta variant.
Likewise, a rapid uptick in infections due to the Delta variant has caused companies to reconsider their return-to-work plans. These plans fall into three categories: in-person, remote telework or hybrid.
Companies believe an in-person environment is good for company culture and important for collaboration. It’s also important for connections and for learning, especially for new employees.
Telework has become more common in some organizations, especially during the current pandemic. From a company perspective, there are six important benefits to telework:
1. Cost Reduction
Employees have stated they would take a pay cut to work from home, which saves the company money. In addition, companies save money if downsizing operations lead to less-needed office space.
Smaller offices, fewer printers and laptops, less lighting, and lower heating and cooling costs amount to additional savings for employers. Likewise, companies can spend less on subsidized transportation costs, public transportation discounts and paying for parking facilities.
2. Improved Productivity
Companies with flexible telework policies have reported productivity increases up to 40% due to increases in employee satisfaction, reduced attrition and fewer employee absences. All of these factors directly relate to company profits.
3. A Better Workforce
Remote working opens the pool of qualified applicants to more than just the local commuting area. This means talent can be acquired nationally or internationally, which creates a more geographically diverse workforce. Also, remote employees can ramp up faster and onboard quicker if the only equipment needed is a laptop and internet connection.
4. Increased Employee Satisfaction and Retention
The benefits of a telework program are widespread in regard to employee satisfaction and retention. According to the International Telework Association and Council (ITAC), teleworking yields a 22% increase in employee productivity, a 20% decrease in employee turnover and a 60% decrease in employee absenteeism on average.
This has also slowed the rate of employee retirements, which increases the amount of intellectual knowledge in the office. In addition, employee satisfaction has increased because working remotely expands employee empowerment, decreases unnecessary meetings and drop-ins by coworkers, and reduces the potential for discrimination and harassment.
5. Marketability
More employees are seeking remote work, which makes companies with established remote policies more marketable. In addition, building a remote team is easier and faster in terms of recruitment and onboarding.
6. Good for the Environment
There are several environmental aspects of telework that benefit a company, including decreasing the company’s carbon footprint, needing less square footage for company operations, and significantly decreasing employees’ commute time. In addition, lower utility bills (electric, gas and water, for example) can be a huge cost savings and benefit the environment.
New COVID-19 Infections Are Causing More Companies to Reconsider Working from Home
Given the benefits of telework, coupled with the increase in coronavirus infections, companies are reconsidering their reentry plans. For example, Amazon scheduled a return to work in September, but has issued a statement that corporate employees will now return to the workplace in January 2022.
The company stated that health was its top priority, and it will keep adhering to local government guidance for a safe office return. Amazon will require masks in offices except for staff who verify they are fully vaccinated.
Amazon adds to the wave of businesses adjusting their return-to-work plans as the highly transmissible Delta variant drives a surge in coronavirus cases. Apple, Google and Indeed have also issued similar statements extending work-from-home policies.
What Is Work-Life Balance?
So what does it look like to continue teleworking and maintaining a work-life balance? There are huge benefits for companies and employers that implement flexible home working environments.
Likewise, there are many challenges. First, there’s the work-life balance issue. Work-life balance is defined as “the relationship between your work and the other important things in your life, like your family, sport and social life, household chores, and volunteer commitments.”
If you feel like you have enough time for all of these things, you probably have a good work-life balance. And when you have a good work-life balance, you’re more likely to have the mental and emotional energy to give your children the loving attention they need to develop, learn and thrive. A well-balanced family life can also help you enjoy life, manage stress and prevent burnout at work.
Challenges with Remote Work
For the last year and a half, many remote workers have blurred the lines between remote work and lifestyle choices. Increased flexibility allows the two worlds to merge, and employees can seamlessly switch back and forth.
However, there are some challenges. For example, adult caregivers who also work remotely have reported extra strain in juggling both responsibilities.
In addition, employees have expressed the difficulty of acquiring quality daycare while co-teaching children who are learning virtually. Furthermore, remote work can be a challenge when multiple adults are working in a small space, and bandwidth issues have become a common problem in households with multiple internet users.
Building a Productive Team
No matter if the work environment is hybrid, in-person or remote, productivity is key. A productive work environment includes:
1. Utilizing Technology
It’s important that robust technology is available to allow a seamless workflow from the home environment. Having internet technology specialists available during work hours is also important to address spur-of-the-moment technical issues.
Likewise, companies may have to consider an expanded IT budget to account for the cost of equipment maintenance and repairs. In some cases, employees may be required to furnish their own equipment. In addition, team members need a uniform platform to interact virtually in which everyone can access the same documents and software.
2. Onboarding
Onboarding during the pandemic can present many cultural challenges, so it’s important to discuss expectations both orally and in writing. Pairing new hires with peer mentors can also help with the onboarding of new team members.
3. Written Expectations
Telework agreements are a great tool to outline expectations of both the company and the employee. This includes outlining core work hours, overtime procedures, and software and web conferencing platforms, as well as security requirements to prevent malware and other cybersecurity threats.
4. Goal Setting
One aspect of creating a productive work environment is structuring meetings appropriately to incorporate the entire team. Goal setting is important to ensure that all team members are aware of the expectations and work productivity.
Autonomy and accountability are not mutually exclusive. Accountability is observation, check-ins and impromptu meetings. There needs to be a two-way process that includes mutually agreed-upon deadlines and regular discussions regarding workloads and capacities.
Telework in the Years to Come
One thing is certain: The in-person workplace will never be the same after this pandemic, and telework in some capacity will be a mainstay for most companies. Of course, not all positions can be converted to work from home jobs. Work environments differ.
But remember that there are thresholds, and there are some field positions that cannot be conducted from home. There are more than 50 million frontline workers – ranging from medical providers to law enforcement and hospitality – that require an in-person work environment. So every company needs to strike the right balance by creating a flexible, productive telework environment that creates a culture of success.
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