It isn’t always possible to establish clear remote-work policies and training in advance, particularly at a time of crisis when things change rapidly as circumstance change. Being proactive and researching what could be required even when there is little time to prepare will take little effort but will improve the engagement and productivity of remote employees.

Common Challenges of Remote Work
Line managers need to understand why remote working could become especially demanding. This will help better understand why high-performing employees may experience a decline in job performance and engagement when they begin working remotely.

They may struggle with:

• Lack of face-to-face supervision: Managers and their employees often express concerns about the lack of face-to-face interaction.
• Managers worry that employees will not work as hard or as efficiently, whilst employees struggle with reduced access to managerial support and communication.
• Lack of access to information: If employees have not worked remotely before they may be surprised by the additional time and effort required to find information from co-workers.
• Social isolation: The biggest issue that remote workers face is loneliness, employees miss the informal social interaction of an office setting. It is thought that extroverts may suffer from isolation more in the short run, particularly if they do not have opportunities to connect with others in their remote-work environment. Longer term employees may feel like they don’t belong and seek to leave employment.
• Distractions at home: It is inevitable that employees will be distracted when working from home. Employers should expect these distractions especially during any unplanned work from home transition, i.e., home schooling. We would recommend you help with a dedicated workspace where possible with the correct equipment etc.