Since employees have had to start working from home due to the pandemic, changes had to happen. Regular operations couldn’t take place since everyone is in various locations. The reason for this setup is to avoid being in a confined space. When employees are in the same office, it increases the chances of getting infected. It’s the only reason why most companies moved to this type of work environment. The problem is that some people saw it as an opportunity to be more productive. Hence, it became a battle of who did more while working at home. Remind your employees that being more productive than usual is never the intention of working from home.
Fulfilling the requirements
If you’re the business leader, you’re responsible for assigning tasks and following up with your employees. Remind them about the deadlines. They can do the tasks whenever they want as long as the deadlines get followed. It’s not to say that you’re asking for the bare minimum. The point is that if your employees want to do more, it’s their choice. It’s not part of what you’re asking from them. You have to be clear that you’re not expecting everyone to do anything beyond the assigned tasks.
Doing self-improvement programs
Some people took the opportunity to try self-improvement programs. They joined webinars, tried new hobbies, read books, and many other things. Again, as long as they can do the job, there’s nothing wrong in using their hours on other things. Besides, if they improve as a result of these activities, it would help them moving forward. The problem is that everyone else might be under pressure to do the same. You should tell your employees that these activities are optional and won’t do anything to affect their place at work. You appreciate the efforts of those who wish to improve, but you don’t look down on those who don’t.
Time to relax
The work from the home setup is also good for people who don’t always have time to relax. They get more time to sleep and take a break in between work. It’s a practice you shouldn’t discourage. Your employees deserve to stop working if they feel exhausted. They’re responsible enough in managing their time. You don’t have to worry about spending more time sleeping or doing nothing.
Remind employees who don’t meet the requirements
Although you don’t pressure your employees to be productive, you also don’t encourage them to be irresponsible. When some of them don’t return the required tasks on time, you have to reprimand them. Being lazy won’t only impact the employees, but the general operations. You’re trying your best to be a flexible leader, but your employees have to do their part too. You can also reward everyone when things get back to normal. You can host a fairground stall hire that your employees will appreciate. You can’t do it now, but it’s a promise you can offer to them. Once this problem is over, everyone will deserve a break.
