Remote working is here to stay, but how can employers effectively manage staff members who are working from home?

When the COVID-19 lockdown hit last March, remote working looked like an interim measure that we would do just for a while.

As we move through 2020, though, remote working has evolved into a much longer-term arrangement, and probably one that many solicitors and other legal staff may adopt (at least part-time) on a permanent basis.

In these circumstances, legal employers should ensure that they can effectively manage staff members who are working from home, and in other locations outside of their premises.

Beyond just productivity, employers should consider the impact of remote working on critical matters such as ethos, organisational priorities, and collegiality.

The good news is that a great deal has been learned over the last six months about what works – and what does not – in remote-working arrangements. There is a myriad of advice now available.

Before employers make arrangements for remote working, it is useful to consider difficulties that regularly arise.

If these difficulties arise and are not addressed, poor job performance and poor engagement may follow. So, let’s consider remote-working difficulties that employees typically experience.

Lack of face-to-face supervision

Both employees and managers can have difficulties because of reduced face-to-face interaction. Managers worry that employees will not work as hard or as efficiently, though research indicates otherwise, at least for some types of jobs.

At the same time, employees may struggle with reduced management support and oversight. In some cases, employees can believe that remote managers are out of touch with their needs and efforts.

They may end up viewing their manager as not supportive – or even not interested in them.

Lack of access to information

Employees are often surprised by the added time and effort needed to locate information from colleagues.

Even getting answers to what seem like simple questions can feel like a large obstacle to a worker based at home.

This phenomenon extends beyond task-related work to interpersonal challenges that can emerge among remote colleagues.

Research has found that a lack of ‘mutual knowledge’ among remote workers translates to a lower willingness to give colleagues the benefit of the doubt in difficult situations.

Social isolation

Loneliness is a common complaint about remote working, with employees missing the informal social interaction of an office setting.

It is thought that extroverts may suffer more from isolation in the short run, particularly if they do not have opportunities to connect with others in their remote-work environment.

Over time, isolation can cause any employee to feel less ‘connected’ to their organisation, and can even prompt people to consider leaving their jobs.

Distractions

Ideally, employers should ensure that their remote workers have both dedicated workspace and adequate childcare before asking them to work remotely.

However, in the case of a sudden transition to remote working, there is a much greater chance that employees will be contending with sub-optimal workspaces and unexpected parenting responsibilities.

Even in normal circumstances, family and home demands can impinge on remote work. Managers should expect these distractions to be greater during any unplanned work-from-home transition period. 

Supporting remote employees

As much as remote work can be fraught with challenges, there are also relatively quick and inexpensive things that managers can do to ease the transition. Actions that you can take today include:

• Structured daily check-ins – many successful remote managers establish a daily call with their remote employees. This could take the form of a series of one-on-one calls if your employees work more independently from each other; or a team call, if their work is highly collaborative. The important feature is that the calls are regular and predictable, and that they are a forum in which employees know that they can consult with you, and that their concerns and questions will be heard.
• Established rules – remote work becomes more efficient and satisfying when managers set expectations for the frequency, means, and ideal timing of communication for their teams – for example: “We use videoconferencing for daily check-in meetings, but we use instant messaging when something is urgent.” Managers should establish rules as early as possible, ideally during the first online check-in meeting. While some choices about specific expectations may be better than others, the most important factor is that all employees share the same set of expectations for communication.
• Good ICT resources – email alone is insufficient. Remote workers benefit from having a ‘richer’ technology, such as videoconferencing, that gives participants many of the visual cues that they would have if they were face-to-face. Zoom and other video-conferencing utilities are useful, especially for smaller groups. Visual cues allow for increased ‘mutual knowledge’ about colleagues, and also help reduce the sense of isolation among teams. Video is also particularly useful for complex or sensitive conversations, as it feels more personal than written or audio-only communication.
• Opportunities for social interaction – one step a manager can take is to structure ways for employees to interact socially (that is, have informal conversations about non-work topics) while working remotely. The easiest way to establish some basic social interaction is to leave some time at the beginning of team calls just for non-work items (for example: “We’re going to spend the first few minutes just catching up with each other. How was your weekend?”).
• Encouragement and emotional support – especially in the context of an abrupt shift to remote work, it is important for managers to acknowledge stress, listen to employees’ anxieties and concerns, and empathise with their struggles. If a newly remote employee is clearly struggling, but not communicating stress or anxiety, ask them how they’re doing. Research on emotional intelligence and emotional contagion tells us that employees look to their managers for cues about how to react to sudden changes or crisis situations. If a manager communicates stress and helplessness, this will have a ‘trickle-down’ effect on employees.

Two-pronged approach

Managing remote working requires managers to adopt a two-pronged approach. You should acknowledge the stress and anxiety that employees may be feeling in difficult circumstances, while also providing affirmation of your confidence in them and in the team.

Use language like: “This is tough, but I know we can handle it,” or “Let’s look for ways to use our strengths during this time.”

With this support, employees are more likely to take up the challenge of remote working with a sense of purpose and focus.

It is recommended that you continue to review your key processes involving technology, particularly with respect to security.

The guidance note from the Technology Committee in the August/September issue of the Gazette (p61) outlines key tips in this regard.