How to Keep Employee Morale Up During Remote Work Periods

The moment your workers experience unforeseen change, they have to deal with the stress of adapting. Preparing to change the way a person works, interact with their fellow workers and clients, and manage their time, is important. Yet, most South African workers did not get to prepare for working remotely. Caught off-guard by the sudden change in routine, the limited interaction with colleagues and having meetings via digital means, employee morale can suffer.

How do you keep employee morale high and productivity at its peak when your people must work in their own homes and only visit the office twice a week? For some, getting up and going to work where they interact with other people, participate in meetings, enjoy lunch hours together, and socialise during team events are the only socialising activities they have. Now they have to regulate their own lunch hours, avoid overworking themselves, exercise, make sure they get some natural sunlight on their bodies daily, and stay motivated.

Morale is an integral part of the company culture, but what if the company is no longer restricted to a brick-and-mortar building? How do you maintain positive energy?

Keep in mind that the way leaders communicate with their workers is one of the ways employee morale is built. To maintain the corporate culture and help your employees deal with the stress of change associated with working remotely without regular person-to-person interaction, it is essential to have regular contact with the workers.

With it being difficult to read the mood when participating in a digital meeting, it’s crucial to allow for a short introductory time before the meeting. This makes it possible for them to socially interact, helping them to maintain a feeling of being connected. Even aspects such as keeping eye contact during the digital meetings help to create an emotional connection.

The wellbeing and resilience of workers and your overall team’s productivity are at stake with the abrupt change to remote working. As such, maintaining the team connection is essential. In addition, you still want to up-skill your workers. One way to help improve and maintain employee morale is by equipping your people with the knowledge and support they need to manage personal stresses, develop mechanisms to cope with negative feelings and actions better, and to increase their sense of wellbeing.

How Is It Possible?

Give them the opportunity to participate in a Wellbeing & Resilience course as part of personal and organisational development. This can be done for a group or individuals. They will gain an overview of wellbeing, insight regarding their present state of wellbeing and the financial & emotional effect of having to deal with work stress, also stress related to working remotely.

Such a course covers the triggers and indicators that influence their wellbeing. They will learn about coping mechanisms and how to maintain their wellbeing, including the steps needed to maintain a work and private life balance.

Do you want your organisation to perform at its peak whether your employees have to work remotely or at the office? If so, start by helping your people deal with stress and gain a mindset to maximise their wellbeing. In this way, you can improve and maintain employee morale even during high-stress and financially difficult periods to the benefit of your organisation.

Improve Employee Morale: How to Get Started

It’s simple: ask us about our Wellbeing & Resilience course and other action plans for organisational development.