A manager's responsibility does not start at 9 am and finish at 5 pm and is not solely defined by the four walls of an office. With the number of staff working from home on the rise, business leaders are having to adapt their day to day processes to accommodate for the new style of working. It is imperative for remote staff to feel supported and included, to avoid feelings of loneliness creeping in and affecting their mental health.

Want to ensure remote staff wellbeing? Find out how to keep your employees happy with this post.

Communication

It is no surprise that communication is one of the most important aspects of any department. It doesn't just allow employees to work effectively, but makes them feel included too - regular communication ensures that remote staff still feel like "one of the team". The best way to do this when some, or all, of your team, are working from home, is through online video calling services.

Working from home, if you are home alone, can be incredibly lonely. Your staff may go for hours without talking to a person, which damages their wellbeing. Talk to them about their working conditions, and, if they are alone all day, make sure to have regular communication. Not just about work, but about their weekend or what they had for lunch - take a genuine interest in their lives.

Empathy

As a manager, you are not just responsible for your employee's productivity, but their mental health too. With desk-bound staff, you can easily tell by their body language or tone if something is wrong, but with remote staff, you may not have the same luxury. It is important to not just ask them directly about their wellbeing, but fully empathise with their answer.

When talking to your remote staff, give them your full attention - that means not multitasking during your call. Try and put yourself in their shoes, and understand that though a stressor for them may not affect you, that doesn't make it invalid. Your staff, especially your remote staff, are still people with their own problems. The difference is that your employees working from home can't escape their problems at the office.

Positive wellbeing directly relates to productivity. If a staff member feels good, then they will do well, meet their targets and feel pride in their work. It may seem counterintuitive to encourage mental wellbeing breaks, as opposed to working, but in the long run, it will improve employee retention. By simply listening, you can reap the benefits of happy employees.

Book A Wellbeing Expert

Sometimes, an external figure's opinions can have a greater impact on an employee as opposed to their own manager. Some people value their privacy and prefer not to mix work and emotions where possible. Due to this, booking a mental health speaker can resonate with remote employees, teaching them strategies for positive wellbeing.

Katie Piper

After suffering an acid attack, Katie Piper had a choice - she could give up or persevere. Katie chose the latter and dedicated her speaking career to mental health advocacy. She has since become a symbol of self-belief, instilling in her audience a new perspective on life. For your employees, Katie's unwavering positivity and sensitive empathy leave a lasting impression.

Samantha Clarke

Samantha Clarke, owner of her own happiness and change coaching service, Samantha &, is the ideal wellbeing speaker. She is committed to revolutionising the modern workplace, encouraging leaders to value employee happiness just as much as they do targets. For staff members, both in the office and from home, her passion for life is infectious.

Daniel Lerner

As an Instructor of New York University's The Science of Happiness, Daniel Lerner is considered to be a wellbeing expert. He helps organisations to achieve a positive work/life balance, essential for employee mental health. Using his positive psychology, Daniel teaches audience members the secrets to nurturing wellbeing.

Want to see a wider selection? Why not take a look at our range of other mental health and wellbeing speakers.

Extracurricular Fun

Even though you may have staff working from home, team cohesion is still an important aspect of any office. A developed relationship with your employees nurtured outside of work can strengthen the bonds between a team. But, how do you do this with remote staff?

Our Favourite Out-Of-Work Team Activities

"Pub" Quiz

Easy to organise and exciting, online "pub" quizzes bring the fun of competition to the comfort of your own home. From celebrity live streams to websites with hundreds of topics, the options are endless! Not only do online quizzes engage staff members with one another, but it also encourages them to work together in a relaxed, light-hearted setting.

Movie Night

Creating a movie night for your time is simple, all you need is a chosen film, an internet connection and some popcorn! Whether you live stream the movie or each press "play" at the same time, you can recreate the magic of the cinema for team members countries apart.

Virtual Bar

Whether you like an ice-cold beer or love a non-alcoholic mocktail, planning a virtual bar trip is the easiest activity out of the three. With just a laptop and your favourite tipple, your team can chat for hours about sport, current affairs and friendly office gossip - it will be as if you are all sitting at your local pub.

Trust

For a business to succeed, there needs to be a hierarchy of roles, commonly known as business organisation. However, that hierarchy does not mean that employees should be treated as "lower" than managers. Respect and trust are key to employee wellbeing, as feeling patronised can negatively impact their mental health.

Keeping your remote staff in the loop will make them feel included and trusted. From training to office updates, a business's greatest asset is the relationship that they have with their employees. Not only will this strengthen employee loyalty, but ensure that when you ask them about their wellbeing, they will fully open up to you.

To build trust, you as a manager need to take the first step. Micro-managing their projects can reduce autonomy, and leave employees feeling like they have no control over their own job, in their own home. Creating an open-door policy while encouraging independence over their responsibilities can improve workplace trust.

Book a Mental Health & Wellbeing Speaker

To book one of our mental health & wellbeing speakers, browse and select the desired topic and simply complete our online booking form or call us on 0207 1010 553.