The ‘new norm’ – How to keep a balance when working from home

By Josh Alston

When the global COVID-19 pandemic ravaged the world in 2020 with widespread lockdowns, it forced companies of all sizes to accelerate working from home models to survive.

This had a profound impact on SMEs who were forced to change their operations quickly to accommodate this new work from home environment.

While the impacts of the coronavirus are still omnipresent, it has become clear that this work model is not going to vanish when the virus does. Here are some facts that matter when it comes to remote work:

• As of November 2020, 64 percent of SME employees in Australia are working remotely full-time or part-time.
• 72 percent of SMEs have digitised some or all of their offerings
• 77 percent of remote workers report being more productive
• Almost 100 per cent of all workers want remote working to continue beyond COVID-19

Working from home may be excellent for health and quality of life, but you need the right tools and support system to not fall into bad habits or burnout. Here is our guide to managing the new normal of the flexible workforce for SMEs.

How a hybrid work model has become the new work standard

A hybrid work model is a new standard for remote workers. It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach but rather an individualised solution that allows employees to have more flexibility in their day and achieve greater productivity. This means that SMEs need to be aware of each employee’s unique needs and provide them with the right tools for success.

While many workers embrace the flexible work environment, 20 percent struggle with being removed from an office environment and experience feelings of loneliness and isolation, which impacts not just their work but their mental health.

A hybrid workforce allows for flexibility in choosing where people do their best work – whether at home or in an office with other employees. This way, everyone gets what they need from their job without sacrificing anything else. And we know that when people are happy at work, they will be up to 20 per cent more productive.

Meeting the challenge of managing a remote workforce

For many employees, the transition to working from home is relatively simple. There are numerous project management digital tools like Asana or Slack where work can be assigned and completed with visibility across the board, so not a lot changes. But what about SME managers? How can they get the most out of their employees without addressing them physically?

Fortunately, technology has evolved to allow for instant video conferencing worldwide. Skype is the great grandfather of video conferencing and remains just as relevant today. Zoom emerged as a crowd favourite at the height of global lockdowns in 2020. Google Hangouts is a valuable video conferencing tool that integrates with the rest of the Google suite of office tools, and Microsoft Teams is a comprehensive platform.

How to balance a work-life balance from home

Bringing your work home isn’t an automatic ticket to a thriving work-life balance. In fact, for many people turning the house into an office can hinder their ability to ‘switch off’ and define work time from family time. Work from home burnout is a real thing, but fortunately, there are some simple things that you can do to prevent it.

Develop routines at home that do not revolve around work. Parts of this routine can include taking breaks for exercise, lunch with loved ones, wellness breaks (yoga, walking, even a daytime nap), especially the coffee breaks that we all love in an office environment.

Give yourself clear boundaries. When you are off the clock, disable notifications from your email and other office productivity tools so you can concentrate on your own time. These boundaries should include your workstation; a dedicated study or nook is far more preferable than setting up on the kitchen table.

You can even use your office productivity tools to set reminders to take a break, leave for lunch and remain focused, on schedule and refreshed from having your valuable time to enjoy with your family – or just by yourself.

It is important to understand the best ways to support both the needs of your employees and your business goals for growth. By incorporating strategies like remote working, flexible work hours, and telecommuting into company culture, SMEs can find a healthy balance between productivity and employee happiness, achieving great success in the new norm.

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Feel free to contact us for anything that relates to your business finances so we can help with your success.

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