As an employer who supports telecommuting, you are already making a valuable contribution and effort to encourage work-life balance for staff members. Skipping the daily commute provides employees with extra personal time and cuts down on stress. And greater control over where and when work gets done can lead to greater productivity and happiness levels.
It shouldn’t be assumed, however, that the off-site set-up immediately solves all balancing issues. In fact, remote employees may constantly feel tugs from both personal and professional obligations due to the lack of separate spheres.
Help your telecommuters and encourage work-life balance with these three strategies:
1. Set clear expectations.
While the stereotype of a telecommuter sitting around in pajamas watching television on the company’s dime still exists, reality shows a different story. Most telecommuters appreciate their arrangement and want to do great work. They often put in extra time to demonstrate their commitment and because the lure of completing “just one more thing” is strong when one’s desk is only a few steps away.
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To get the results you want from remote workers and to aid them in budgeting their time appropriately, discuss desired outcomes. These conversations pinpoint what you want and when you need it. Let them know your satisfaction with their performance rests on fulfillment of these goals, not on clocking extra hours.
“Help people focus on accomplishment of the most important tasks more than on being busy—there will always be something else they can be doing,” says Kevin Eikenberry, co-author of The Long-Distance Leader: Rules for Remarkable Remote Leadership.
2. Disconnect.
“Though enhanced connectivity has improved the way we communicate and spurred demand for greater workplace flexibility, it can also impede on the work-life balance,” says Alexander Lowry, professor of finance at Gordon College. “Employees working remotely or outside traditional business hours may feel compelled to respond to emails or phone calls constantly, even when they have purposely changed their schedules to avoid working at certain times.”
Encourage remote employees to set boundaries and then inform others of those restrictions. For instance, someone who wants uninterrupted family time after 7:00 p.m. can let colleagues know calls and emails won’t be returned until the next day.
Most importantly, the employer must respect these limitations. Doing so will help the employee relax. Even go a step further by not sending messages at all hours. Though you know your 2:00 a.m. text won’t be seen until morning, the act of composing it at that time creates an underlying feeling of “devoted” higher ups operating 24/7.
3. Address the issue.
Let remote employees know that managing stress and burnout is critical for all workers regardless of where the job is performed. Take a moment during a group video conference to remind telecommuters to build breaks into their schedule and eat a proper lunch. Consider benefits such as employee wellness programs, in which people can be reimbursed for things such as gym memberships or nutritional counseling.
And one final easy step to take: demonstrate interest in your staff members as more than just telecommuters. As noted by Andrew Schrage, CEO of Money Crashers, “When you show that you care about the person as an individual, they’ll get the impression that work-life balance is as important to you as it is to them.”
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