3 Hybrid Workplace Best Practices To Maintain Employee Wellness and Avoid Burnout

While remote work was born out of necessity, hybrid work may become the norm due to convenience. In this article, Khadim Batti, CEO, Whatfix, offers three best practices for maintaining employee wellness as the world shifts to hybrid work culture.

The rapid expansion of remote work was born out of necessity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, the hybrid workplace is here to stay out of convenience for both worker and employer. In a recent study from PwCOpens a new window , more than half of employees surveyed said they want to work remotely three days a week or more. Workers say they are more productive, enjoy the flexibility of their schedules, and do not miss the commutes. Employers agree most remote workers are more productive, so they are making the investments in tools needed to make it work.

While it appears the technical aspects of the hybrid workplace are humming along, there are questions about the personal aspects of it. Will isolation and the lack of daily face-to-face interaction with co-workers take a toll on one’s mental health? Can people deal with the 24/7 aspect of working from home in the long term? For the sake of employees’ well-being, employers must ensure the physical distance between employees doesn’t mean the personal connection is lost.

Learn More: 2021 HR Predictions: The Future of Recruiting is Hybrid

1. Prevent Employee Burnout With Streamlined Remote Work Tools and Flexible Schedules

The tools are in place to make remote work possible. However, those tools must be easy to access and easy to use. Make sure all necessary applications are under the same umbrella. Valuable time can be saved by eliminating the need to search for access for applications or taking extra time to navigate between unique access points. The little annoyances can add up to big frustrations for workers. Another solution to the problem is to route all work-essential applications through the company’s human resources management system. Both solutions will reduce the number of mental work employees go through to access and use the tools they need to do their jobs.

Once the tools are streamlined, give employees the flexibility to do their jobs when it works best for them. Providing overall flexibility in work schedules can be a game-changer because of the fatigue continuous work creates. People have spent more than a year blurring the line between home and the office with remote work. Some may ask. “Am I working from home, or living at work?” Workers have been dealing with new situations that can be complicated by applying old standards. A study conducted by UpworkOpens a new window in December found that 60% of hiring managers surveyed said the schedule flexibility remote work creates has worked better than they expected. Give employees the flexibility they desire. Let them make their schedules or at least give them space to separate their work lives and personal lives.

2. If Employees Need Help, Get It to Them Quickly

While the goal is to avoid burnout, loneliness, and anxiety among employees, that goal is not easily achieved in the post-COVID-19 world. Simple employee assistance programs to support well-being are key. Check in with employees regularly to see if anyone is dealing with those emotions, then help get them addressed. When it’s determined an employee is dealing with burnout, loneliness, or anxiety, it’s vital to have a system in place to quickly get them the help they need. Don’t route them through internal apps or force them to scour through tedious email chains. Have a point of contact ready to go and equipped to get assistance to employees right away.

However, employees who need help are not always ready to seek out solutions. Sometimes they need to be asked how they are doing first. Invest in tools to gauge how employees are doing regularly. It is crucial to check in with workers regularly, and not just after major changes. The pandemic still weighs heavy on people’s minds, so those tools can be used to find ways to give workers a sense of motivation and boost morale as well as energy. Simple check-ins can Improve the overall outlook among employees. You can then use the insights gained to create new people initiatives moving forward.

Learn More: Emotional Intelligence in the Hybrid Workplace: How Technology Can Help Us Be More Human

3. Create a Compassionate Work Culture

Work cultures have a direct impact on the mental wellness of employees. Leaders should value the mental health of their employees and make that fact clear to employees. We know that all organizational cultures start at the top and work their way down. If leaders don’t promote unhealthy work habits like crash-and-burn routines, workers are unlikely to develop them on their own. Instead, create a sustainable work culture where your people can keep growing.

Give workers a chance to get offline and away from their screens. Pan-organization leaves and wellness days off are crucial. They give employees a chance to relax offline. It’s a sympathetic and much-needed gesture these days when everyone has dealt with so much.

Situations may be improving, but the COVID-19 pandemic continues. Many people have suffered, and the grieving continues even if it is not as front and center as it was in the past. Some people are still putting up brave fronts so they can support others. Do not expect them to put those emotions aside when it is time to work. Providing emotional support to your people and teams along with the resources needed to support their well-being creates a healthy workplace, whether you are working side by side or miles apart.