Pre-pandemic, working from home or WFH as it’s commonly known, was something employees relished. The long commute could be swapped for an extra hour in bed, the suit could be ditched for comfy joggers, and it was often used to make a weekend getaway that bit longer. Employers were fully aware of this, and often expressed displeasure at having to grant WFH days that frequently accompanied a dip in output. As such the culture of presenteeism reigned supreme. If you wanted to be noticed and get ahead of your colleagues, WFH had to be avoided, and early arrivals and late departures from the office needed to become a frequent habit.
Fast forward to the global pandemic and a walk around the block has replaced the morning commute, ironing boards have been turned into desks, and endless video calls have filled up our calendars. Employers have been backed into a corner and have had no choice but to allow WFH indefinitely, for the majority of their workforce. With the inevitable distractions that come from home working, employers have worried and applied more and more pressure to maintain productivity. As such, remote workers are now working longer hours than their office counterparts. Employees no longer view the absence of commuting as extra free time, but instead as extra desk time. Data from NordVPN Teams found that during 2020 the US increased their average workday by an extra 3 hours, and the UK, France, Canada and Spain, an extra 2 hours.
And it’s not just employers applying the pressure. Ambitious employees concerned by lack of face-time with the boss are pushing themselves to work harder and put in the extra hours. Without the convenience of on-the-spot chats with colleagues, most interactions have to be scheduled, and many meetings attended just to ‘show your face’ so as to not be forgotten. In the US, the National Bureau of Economic Research observed that last year the number of meetings attended rose by 13.5%. Whilst the intelligence agency Storyful, noted that COVID-19 has sparked a 23% growth in video conferencing mentions online – we only need to view our current calendars to corroborate such claims.
But it’s no longer underperformance that leaders need to be concerned about – rather it’s overperformance that is killing the productivity of WFH teams. The longer work hours combined with the pressures of juggling work and home life, are leading to higher-than-average rates of employee burnout. It’s crucial employers spot the signs and act fast to nip WFH burnout in the bud, and revive the energy, creativity and motivation of their remote workforce.
Setting clear office hours and not expecting employees to work regularly outside these hours is a good start. Citigroup even launched “Zoom-free Fridays” in an effort to promote a better work-life balance and address the issues of Zoom fatigue. But as well as demonstrating empathy and understanding, the concept allowed Citigroup employees to increase their productivity. A pre-pandamic survey by Korn Ferry found that 67% of respondents believed spending too much time in meetings and on calls, was distracting them from making an impact at work. Ditch a handful of meetings or reduce their length, and there are clearly many benefits to be had.
The pandemic has given rise to the biggest WFH pilot ever imaginable. It’s vital that organisations understand and embrace these new ways of working that have been thrust upon us. It’s time to invest in proper training for employees and leadership, harness the right technologies and extend a duty of care to workers outside the office environment. Do this under a culture of trust and empathy, and organisations will soon reap the benefits of a creative, motivated, engaged and collaborative remote workforce.
