An unseen impact of COVID-19? The freeing realisation that successful work can be done from anywhere. In the midst of initial uncertainty, companies found their stride with remote work, moving 40 times more quickly than they thought possible before the pandemic. Now, with a new normal taking shape, many believe that remote work is here to stay. In Singapore, eight of of every ten workers polled wished to continue working from home, or utilise flexible working arrangements.
But this welcome change for many also increases the likelihood of employee burnout as the boundaries between work and personal lives blur. The home is now an extension of the office. If we are not careful, the breakfast table can all too quickly become the morning’s workspace. The spontaneity of in-person interactions or chance run-ins at the office have been replaced with a monotonous stream of video calls, usually conducted from the same space. Adding to this strain is the fact that the average workday has lengthened by nearly an hour. It’s no wonder that a recent study found that 75% of workers have experienced burnout, with 40% of them encountering it during the pandemic.
With this in mind, it is crucially important that organisations continue to make an effort to support employees during this difficult time. Mental, physical, and emotional health play a vital role in determining overall success – when employees aren’t well, a company suffers. Only when employee needs are met and continually looked after can true work efficiencies emerge.
One organisation began implementing a work-from-home program for their large global staff nearly 18 months ago. Their approach bolstered employee engagement and minimised facility costs, while increasing collaboration in many of the brick-and-mortar locations they redesigned. New technologies were implemented prior to this launch, as were expectations. This organisation fared very well compared to their competitors through the pandemic, as they had already started their journey to reimagining how work could be accomplished.