How are your people finding working from home? Many enjoy the flexibility of home working, grateful to leave the stress of commuting and office life behind them.  

But for others, it's difficult to maintain a healthy work-life balance when the boundaries between home and work are blurred, particularly for those with caregiving responsibilities. 

Indeed, 69% of employees working from home are experiencing symptoms of burnout, according to a study by Monster.  

In this article, learn how to help your remote teams avoid burnout by strengthening your communications. You’ll benefit from happier employees and increased productivity in the process.  

What contributes to burnout?  

There are many factors that can contribute to burnout at work, including added pressure from managers, time constraints, unclear job expectations and a lack of recognition.  

When an employee is working from home, these issues can become compounded. Individuals may feel more cut off from their colleagues and find it increasingly difficult to separate their personal lives from work.  

Symptoms of burnout include: 

• Difficulty concentrating 

• Headaches and tiredness 

• Feelings of hopelessness 

• Lack of motivation 

• Job cynicism  

All of which is detrimental to an individual’s long-term mental health. It can also dramatically affect absenteeism, productivity and profitability. That’s why taking care of your people is good business sense, not to mention your moral obligation.  

But making sure your remote workers are coping can be challenging. For one thing, it's harder to spot the physical signs of burnout during virtual meetings.  

How are other companies tackling this challenge? Let’s look at a few examples. 

Remote working support done right  

1. Maestro Health 

Maestro Health transitioned to a remote working model in March 2020. It has since introduced Mental Health days for its employees, giving them time to ‘log off’ and prioritise their mental wellbeing. 
 
What’s more, the company launched a series of virtual culture and communication initiatives focused on ensuring its employees feel supported and can socialise with their colleagues no matter where they are. 

2. Bynder 

Digital asset management company, Bynder, holds three 20-minute townhalls per week for its remote workers, led by Kevin Broom, the CPO.  

Each session kickstarts with an ‘Ask me Anything' activity. This includes a mixture of 60:40 personal vs professional questions. By giving personal answers, Broom strengthens his relationship with his team. This in turn encourages them to be more open about their mental health.  

3. Shopify 

To reduce zoom fatigue, Shopify encourages its team members to end meetings 5-10 minutes before their next one to set healthier work-life boundaries.  

The ecommerce giant has also hired internal coaches to create podcasts, videos and worksheets on important topics, like how to manage feeling overwhelmed when working remotely.  

4. Appen 

When machine learning company, Appen, discovered that its remote employees often felt isolated, it built a community forum where employees can spark conversations between each other about anything and everything. This saw Appen’s attrition rate drop by 5%.  

Improved communication and employee engagement have played a core role in all of these examples, focusing on the way leaders can strengthen their relationships with their remote teams while destigmatising discussions around mental health. We look at this in more detail below.  

What you can do to help remote workers avoid burnout 

Champion communication around mental wellbeing 

Many people find it difficult to talk about their mental health because they feel ashamed or embarrassed. It can be even harder when the person you need to talk to is your manager or boss. 

Make it easier by crushing mental health stigmas. Consider doing this by being open about your mental health battles and creating safe spaces for your employees to share their experiences. Also, have managers ask open questions in individual sessions with their team members. They may require specialist support and advice.  

Engage and motivate your employees 

It’s easier for employees to lose their sense of belonging and purpose when working from home. This often contributes to feelings of isolation, which can impact an individual's ability to deal with stress at work. 

To re-engage your employees, involve them in key decisions by consistently asking for their input. That way they will feel more invested in the company and their work, boosting their morale and motivation outside of the office. 

Provide mental health training and resources  

Training your managers on how to spot nonverbal communication cues will provide a window into how their team members are truly feeling. You could offer video training sessions for this and appoint mental health first aiders. 

Also, consider using an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). EAPs provide a confidential service that typically includes a 24/7 helpline with calls answered by in-house certified counsellors. This will give your employees assurance that help is there should they need it.  

Be more flexible with targets and breaks 

A lot of people working from home are caregivers. In the office, they would have the opportunity to escape their duties at home, mentally and physically. This is nearly impossible with a work from home setup. 

By adjusting targets for such individuals, you will help to relieve some of the pressure and stress they’re likely experiencing. Also encourage them to take regular breaks, whether that’s having an extra 30 minutes to go for a walk or a whole day dedicated to self-care (as Maestro Health provided with its Mental Health day initiative).  

You may also want to share our article on Working from Home With Kids with your employees who are parents. It provides advice on how to manage a healthy work-life balance while working remotely.  

It all comes down to empathy 

Take what you can from these examples and suggestions to help your employees feel less isolated and stressed when working from home.  

Just remember, real success relies on your ability to show empathy and an understanding of the challenges your remote team members face daily.  

You can find more advice on strengthening your communications to improve employee wellbeing in our blog.