How to Mitigate the Challenges of Working from Home

When the pandemic first compelled remote work, we didn’t imagine it would become the new normal, nor would there be challenges of working from home. With more workers switching to a remote working environment, we face new challenges that require effective solutions. 

How to Mitigate the Challenges of Working from Home

 

Here’s the list of the most common issues remote workers face and advice on tackling them. 

Remote Work Challenges

• Healthy Work-Life Balance

Working from home can blur the fine line between personal and professional life. If you’re eating your lunch while reviewing the latest project or you keep checking your business email before bedtime, your work and private life may not be in a perfect balance. It can quickly lead to overworking and developing resentment towards your job. Also, it can disrupt your relationships and negatively affect your social life.

 

Solution: Eat your lunch away from the computer and always plan your days ahead. Alongside your working hours, schedule your free time as well. As a result, this will encourage you to spend less time in front of the computer, and you’ll have something to look forward to every day. 

 

• Remote Surveillance

One challenge of working from home is keeping the productivity of employees.The pandemic forced us to adopt new technologies that can help us organize and run our business ventures more smoothly and efficiently. Business owners started implementing remote work monitoring tools to keep a closer look at their employees’ productivity and task management. However, research showed that employee surveillance could bring more harm than good. According to ExpressVPN’s study, 56% of remote workers say remote work monitoring makes them feel anxious and stressed, and 41% of them constantly worry they’re being watched. 

 

Solution: If you’re a business owner looking to implement remote work supervision tools into your management model, check how your employees feel about it and include them in the decision-making process. Therefore, explain everything and value their opinion. 

 

• Team Collaboration and Communication

Working on different projects requires efficient and effective communication with your team members, and you can sometimes feel left out, or like you’re not getting the complete picture of how your projects develop. Miscommunication can be a serious obstacle that can jeopardize your business ventures and reputation. This is a serious challenge of working from home because we have lost that in person collaboration among employees.

 

Solution: Find a reliable platform like Slack to keep you connected with your team members. Also, set up regular video meetings to address any issues and discuss ideas.

 

• Cybersecurity Issues

Having an IT team in the office means that you don’t have to worry too much about cybersecurity. However, when working from the home office, you have to be very careful how you access the company’s data. How do you avoid putting your company’s security at risk and becoming a cyberattack victim?

 

Solution: Business owners should organize regular cybersecurity training and software to protect the company’s information. For instance, you should always use multi-factor authentication to protect your accounts and regularly update your software. Also, whenever you’re unsure how to deal with a cybersecurity issue, reach out to your IT team and ask for advice to prevent potential risks. 

 

Take a moment to see how your daily routine has changed since you switched to a home office. Analyze how this new environment affects your well-being. Talk to your boss and colleagues, and suggest methods and tools that can help you increase your productivity.

 

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