Navigating Remote Work Challenges: Enhance Employee Wellness

High levels of virtualization are cognitively draining to the employee, with 75% of HR leaders agreeing that an increase in the number of virtual touchpoints employees face in their work puts them at risk for burnout. Many employees have been working remotely for more than a year, and most favor the flexibility it offers, but remote work fatigue is setting in. Ninety-three percent of HR leaders report being increasingly concerned about employee burnout.

remote working fatigue

If you feel burnt out, you need to be able to communicate this with your managers and co-workers. 69% of remote workers are experiencing burnout symptoms due to being overworked, having no sense of work life balance, and feeling unsupported. Ultimately, working remotely is not about finding work-life balance but finding harmony. There will be days when work consumes more hours than your personal life does, but make these the exception. Finding harmony will reduce remote work fatigue and lead to longer-term success in this new remote world. Working from home provides many benefits, such as flexibility and the lack of a commute.

Zoom Statistics and Overview

When unaddressed, the condition can result in underperformance, disengagement, and employee turnover. Moreover, these feelings are unpleasant and can make work unenjoyable, and it is better to try to overcome the slump and rediscover passion for the job. Part of this battle is about accepting the fact that working from home is a different experience from working in the office, setting realistic expectations, and programming good habits. Work from home fatigue may feel permanent and insurmountable in the moment, however the feeling often passes.

Are remote workers more prone to burnout?

38% of employees suffer remote work burnout because they feel pressured by management to work more hours (Indeed).

If they require it, provide additional training for your people in both giving and receiving 360 feedback, and to help your managers encourage communication with their remote teams. This is also a perfect opportunity to utilize experiential learning to ensure your people know how to apply the skills learned during their training. And this shift in management styles has caused an increase in micromanagement, with managers calling their team members numerous times a day to just ‘check in’ or to ask for an update on a project or task.

Five Strategies For Combating Fatigue Among Remote Employees

With increasing obligations and interruptions at both home and work, flexibility will go a long way toward easing the strain and supporting your employees. Rather than adhering to a rigid meeting schedule that makes demands on everyone’s time and energy, tune into your team’s needs and adjust accordingly. Microsoft’s research shows that high levels of sustained concentration during video meetings leads https://remotemode.net/ to fatigue that sets in at about the minute mark. If you want your employees’ undivided attention, keep meetings as short as possible. Use the 30 minutes to disseminate the most important information, then follow up by email or chat with relevant documents and other resources. Employers can provide support by showing that they care and taking an interest in the well-being of remote employees.

Does remote work make you more tired?

A sedentary lifestyle, like sitting in front of a computer all day, will contribute to feeling tired. "The less active we are, the less energy we have," says Pinkham. Find ways to incorporate exercise into your life (bonus points if you can get outside).

The activity demands greater physical and emotional effort, and in fact we hear people talking about “Zoom fatigue.” We know that these work modes have been dictated not by choice but by the circumstances of the health crisis. So I believe that most of the work of managers in this moment lies in trying to transform these circumstances into choices, making the mental wellbeing of the worker the central focus. Gallup also found that remote workers were also experiencing increased levels of stress, worry, and anger14. Offering mental health days and encouraging workers to take time off came in at 43%. Employees that report they can get all the information they need in one spot so that they can get on with their day are happier, more productive, and less prone to mental fatigue.

Ways to make remote work better for your brain and body

Make sure your work does not get in the way of your social activities. I am not a doctor, so if you suspect you might be suffering from burnout, I suggest you do some research of your own, maybe take an interactive test or two, and consult your family physician. That may be a drastic example, and I hope it will not encourage any Toptalers to take a two-year leave of absence if they experience their first case of burnout. However, even two weeks can make a big difference, provided you catch the symptoms of burnout early.

  • You could provide online meditation or yoga class memberships to staff or send out occasional “treat yourself” gift cards in place of in-office breakroom snacks and coffee.
  • Simply install the pack, configure the data sources and you have an engaging employee experience.
  • Employees are struggling to know when and how to switch off at the end of their workday, with 40% of hybrid or remote employees reporting an increase in the length of their workday in the past 12 months.

21% say it’s a toss-up between pressure from managers and customers or clients . A collection of resources, all around a certain remote work topic, sent every other week. Consider the option of taking calls instead of video chats so that remote working fatigue you feel less drained and have the option to walk around or get moving while you talk. Join your peer CHROs and senior HR executives from leading organizations to discuss specific HR challenges and learn top HR trends and priorities.

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