It’s time to look at wellness in the work-from-home workplace as a permanent change
By Bill Zolis
Who knew, back in March or April, that we would find ourselves deep into a second wave of coronavirus lockdowns by Christmas? There’s not much we can do about the virus except to keep calm, carry on and try to play by the public health rules.
But I think that we are also into a “second wave” of the working-from-home revolution which, oddly enough, has had a larger impact on most working Canadians than the virus itself. That’s something we do have some control over, and I’m suggesting that we take some time over the holiday break to assess our situation – particularly in terms of how benefits management has to adapt to deal with the new challenges that come with change — and set our goals and objectives for the New Year based on the fact that this is how it’s going to be.
And make no mistake – working from home is how it’s going to be. CTV News reports that a major survey has found that 80 percent of people currently working from home like it just fine, and want to keep work-from-home as at least an option after the pandemic fades away.
Two things in that study, from a group called Research Co., struck me as particularly interesting: young professionals, aged 18 to 34, reported the most difficulty adjusting, and mentioned “distractions” in the home as their biggest challenge; and, of all issues reported, the loss of social interaction at work was by far the most frequently mentioned.
Another study that came across my desk last week, this one from the Robert Half organization, had a somewhat different take on the challenges of working from home. It found that over half – 55 percent – of work-at-home employees were putting in time on the weekend, and that a third reported working more than 8 hours a day.
We’ve all been there. But there is a difference between putting in extra time on evenings or weekends to finish a project when it’s necessary, and putting in extra hours all the time. The first is a formula for success – but the second is a formula for burn-out.
It’s time for a mid-course correction in remote working. Or think of it as transitioning from what was initially an emergency response, with every expectation of “getting back to normal” in a few weeks or months, to the new reality of making it work in the long term.
What are the issues we will have to address? What, from the point of view of benefits management, are the issues in “the well work-from-home workplace”?
Who better to ask than the people who brought us the technology that has become almost synonymous with off-site work? Zoom Video Corporation, in the U.S., which went from 10 million users before the pandemic to over 200 million a few months later, has now given us a new concept: Zoom burnout.
The issues around wellness, psychological well-being and mental health that various studies are starting to identify include the following.
– Lack of support. For most of us, the physical workplace was a large part of our social interaction. Friends, colleagues, people to talk to. All of these provided us with our daily reality check and kept us in touch with what others were thinking and feeling. But for some individuals, the work environment played an even larger role – it was all they had. Losing that daily contact has hit them much harder, and the risk of feeling isolated and “lost” can lead to many other issues down the road.
– The pressure of frequent meetings. Many people report feeling stressed by the prospect of “being put on the spot” in meetings several times per day. And most are concerned about “how they look” in the meeting. The pressure to “perform” can wear on employees – especially the ones who are long accustomed to working quietly in the background.
– Difficulty communicating. In the face-to-face workplace, a good deal of our communication is through body language and facial expression. Most of that is lost when our communication consists of e-mail, file sharing and video conferences.
– Lack of feedback. This came up frequently as one of the main concerns of younger professionals. A feeling of not-quite being in the loop, and it’s closely related to the issues of communication and connectedness. Everyone wants a clear sense of “how am I doing?” This can be lost in the often more formal setting of the video conference.
– Loss of clear boundaries. The main boundary that existed in the physical office was as simple as 9-to-5. But many people are starting to edge across that boundary – the 55 percent of Canadians who keep working after 5 and turn on the laptop on weekends.
So, with nine months of work-from-home under our belts, a new year ahead and every prospect that working from home is here to stay, what I’m hearing from clients and contacts is that our next challenge will be in taking our concept of the well workplace and applying it to our new reality. We’ll look at that, and what we, as benefits professionals, can do help our clients and employees to adapt in upcoming blogs.
Wow. What a year it’s been. And it’s not over yet, with most Canadians going into the holiday season in lockdown or red-zone restrictions. But we’ve made it this far, and the first vaccines are already rolling out to the most vulnerable and their caregivers. From all of us to you and yours, I wish you peace, health and happiness at this special time of year. Hang on, stay safe, be healthy… and Happy New Year!
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Take 5 for Health Benefits: Article with me and our client, Jeff Porter, President and CEO of Turner Porter, about his success with virtual pharmacy services. Interesting read…
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A holiday gift from our friends at the Ajax Pickering Board of Trade: Great seasonal recipes (just to keep things in perspective). Enjoy!
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I really appreciate comments, ideas, suggestions or just observations about the blog or any other topics in benefits management. I always look forward to hearing from readers. If there’s anything you want to share, please email me at bill@penmore.com.
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