Remote working over the holidays

Professional vs personal responsibilities over the holidays – working remotely can be a smart way to balance these but it comes with its own challenges.  Here are some things to consider:

BENEFITS OF REMOTE WORKING DURING THE HOLIDAYS

There are quite a few benefits for allowing your employees to work remotely over the holidays.  We will talk you through a few of them and the challenges they can also bring, with solutions of how these can be overcome:

Flexibility: It seems like a distant memory but if Covid taught us anything, we now know you can work from anywhere - family home, vacation spot or your usual setup.

Work-life balance: We all know the schools have 6 weeks off over the summer.  Balancing your childcare needs with work commitments can be tricky, but if there are no time constraints on when someone can do the work, this is do-able. It’s also easier to take breaks and participate in holiday traditions.

Reduced commute & office distractions: Another hour working instead of travelling into the office, coupled with fewer chats around the coffee machine can increase productivity.

Control over schedule: You can often adjust your hours to accommodate holiday events and activities. We aren’t talking about sitting in the garden all morning with the kids, but wouldn’t it be nice to have an hour’s lunch with them?

CHALLENGES TO WATCH OUT FOR

Distractions: Whichever way you look at it, kids can be a distraction so clear boundaries need to be set.

Loneliness: Remote working is not suitable for everyone! If you're away from coworkers and family, holidays can feel isolating so this needs to be factored in.

Blurry boundaries: As employers, we can sometimes be cynical and think staff aren’t working enough.  However, it’s important to remember that with remote working it’s also very easy to slip into working too much and we have a duty of care to look after our employees wherever they work.

SO HOW CAN WE MAKE IT WORK?

Communicate – it’s an age-old argument but communication needs to be clear from both the remote worker and the employer.  Let your team and manager know your holiday schedule and availability. The line manager needs to communicate what you expect whilst they are working remotely.

Set expectations: Be upfront about deadlines and what you expect from their output but remember to be realistic.

Establish boundaries: Agree in advance the working hours around their personal commitments.

Build in breaks: Agree a scheduled time for them to rest and avoid burnout. Remember they won’t be having those chats around the coffee machine!

Can we help you?

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