Many of us are now getting very used to working from home, it has been forced upon us in an effort to increase the social distancing requirements due to COVID-19. Some companies may have previously implemented work from home arrangements but most companies had to introduce an emergency work from home plan. Because of the potential lack of preparation, some of your employees might be facing difficulties working from home. So, let me share some HR tips for working from home to increase productivity and employee motivation.
Create the work from home policy
A work from home policy is an agreement between employer and employee that clearly defines the expectations and responsibilities. Define the expectations for all employees. Ensure each employee follows the right level of data security. Check equipment available to them and offer better tools if necessary. The policy should include these contents; what is working from home? what are the employer’s responsibilities when implementing working from home arrangements in response to COVID-19?, how do employers measure employees’ productivity when working from home? Etc…,
Provide the tools and technology needed to work from home
For example, laptop, phone, database access, chargers, monitors, team chat app, Cloud storage and a digital assistant. Rather than having employees use their own equipment which may or may not be secure or capable of handling the work they need, the employer will have more confidence in ensuring the work will get done and the employees will feel more comfortable working with equipment supplied by the employer. Provide them with a secured Wi-Fi network and work with a trusted virtual private network (VPN) or make sure they are using the secured Wi-Fi network.
Trust your employees to do their work
The bedrock of successful remote working is trust. If you can’t trust your employees to work from home, attempting this style of work will not be successful. Keeping your employees engaged and happy during COVID-19 is essential to continuing to further your business and get results, even when companies are struggling.
Ensure your employees are working from home
Establish daily check-ins or daily team catch-ups using video conferencing. Create a forum for employees to share their personal as well as professional updates. Encourage your employees to work together and stay connected. Inform them not to hesitate to ask for what they need. Give them scheduled breaks or help them to keep a work/life balance. Set weekly SMART goals or expectations for them.
Paid salary on right time
I would like to suggest paying your employee salary on right time. Especially during COVID-19 period, employees may be worried about the impact on their financial security. Money helps to sustain your employees’ lives and is a driving force that impacts many of their choices outside of work and also employees have the right to claim their salary for their time. If you can’t pay the salary on time, you should explain or inform them the reasons. Many companies are facing difficulties in paying their salaries on time due to travel restrictions, lack of technology or highly paper-based office environments. If you have any difficulties in paying salary on time you can outsource your payroll. If you can pay the salary on time, your employees will be more loyal to you and they also get a motivation to work harder.
