Remote working is full of possibilities and potential. Making the most of these circumstances means that the conditions your staff operate in should be improved however possible.
Still, these continuous efforts can be challenging to manage. At the start of these arrangements, it can feel like there’s a strong sense of the unknown, with less certainty around what your staff are up to. They may also feel a sense of unease if they’re not aware of how they should be proceeding.
Still, this isn’t always a reason to start getting twitchy! They’re still your employees, and you have a say in their work conditions.
What can you do here? Below you’ll find some suggestions on improving remote working conditions for your staff.
Utilise Remote Access Software
Your remote staff must easily access everything they need. Emailing files from work computers to home computers or going through colleagues and superiors to get what they require can significantly stall productivity.
You can web-enable business applications that are hosted on central corporate servers. That way, staff and clients can use remote desktop access for those apps and work from home more efficiently. TSplus’ services are great for this, as they empower users to explore these options on any device; smartphones, tablets, Macs, and standard computers. Concurrent sessions for numbers between 3 and 50 are also created for your workforce’s convenience.
Furthermore, you don’t have to worry about giving workers access to everything. You can publish the apps you want to the groups of users that will need them. Therefore, remote desktop infrastructure ensures tiered authorisation, and you don’t have to worry about leaks or mishandled data. You have a great degree of control here!
Revisiting Work Hours
France tends to have one of the shortest work weeks in Europe. In 2021, there was even talk of scaling things back even further, going from an average of 35 hours worked a week to 32.
It might be something to think about. After all, some firms are contemplating asynchronous working, meaning that workers don’t have to all be online simultaneously and can largely set their own hours. So long as quality standards are met, and deadlines are adhered to, does it really matter if all the team is clocking in and out at the same time?
Of course, there are some roles where a reliable schedule is necessary. Those who frequently teamwork will need to be around at the same time as their colleagues. Still, for those who are flying solo in their job role, allowing them to set their own schedules and mutually agree upon deadlines can give them more agency when working and ensure they deal with less stress!
You should also avoid emailing your workforce outside of working hours. Discourage them from doing the same as well. That way, people can switch off, get the rest they need, and return to work feeling refreshed and ready to perform.
Encourage Physical Activity
Some firms impress that their workers must remain at their desks during work hours. Not only is this an unrealistic standard to set, but it can also be detrimental to employee health.
The pandemic fuelled a home-based exercise boom, which should continue into 2023 and beyond. Encourage your employees to get intermittently get up from their desks and get some exercise. Obivously, they shouldn’t go too far from their workstations or spend an hour in the gym (unless that’s how they want to spend a lunch break), but some movement exercises can be invigorating.
These efforts can be very rudimentary. Just short walks or even basic stretches can suffice. It could even be worth recommending something like a yoga mat, as they can just roll it out and get their movement exercises in quickly and conveniently. Additionally, you could start up a group call with other colleagues using video conferencing software, using it all as a bonding activity to bring teams together.
Make IT Support Constantly Available
IT support teams need to be available 24/7. If issues arise, they need to be quickly resolved.
There are many ways you can succeed in implementing these measures. Strategies include:
- Staying in touch with your IT support staff, upskilling them with training, and upgrading any helpdesk capabilities. If you need their help, invest in them.
- Enabling IT support teams to focus on bigger problems by providing troubleshooting tips for employees encountering minor issues. These guidelines could feature in company handbooks or be sent as reminder emails.
- Build a culture in your firm where problems are identified and reported immediately.
- Outsourcing IT support to qualified experts who can constantly oversee maintenance and repair duties for your firm.
Some of these points may appeal to you and your remote workers more than others, and that’s okay. So long as you’re aware that you all have options to keep IT support afloat, it can all ensure every tech problem has a quick solution. Workers will also feel more comfortable knowing there’s a safety net for all their tech needs.
