As the coronavirus continues to change life as we know, the need to provide support for others has become increasingly important, particularly when it comes to remote employees. Regardless of whether or not your company as a whole has been negatively affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, the workers behind your business’s success are the heart of the company, meaning they deserve the utmost love and attention, especially during these unprecedented times. For this reason, it’s critical to make an effort to protect and assist your employees is critical during this time. Read on to learn how!
Allow for mental health days
Whether you’re aware of it or not, mental health days are happening within the company even if there is no current policy related to this. In fact, 95% of employees have reported taking time off due to feelings of stress and anxiety, but when asked, gave a separate excuse for their absence. Needless to say, it’s time to start acknowledging the mental well-being of employees! Try providing support by allowing remote employees to take at least one mental health day for themselves during COVID-19. In doing so, you’re more likely to improve workplace wellness and overall work productivity across the company.
Encourage the use of telemedicine services
Providing fast support in a time where accessible healthcare is uncertain, telehealth services offer a lot of value for remote workers amid COVID-19. From it’s the ability to connect patients to a certified physician and receive prescription refills when needed, to it’s a cost-efficient approach to healthcare, telemedicine services offer a unique way for employees to keep healthy during these trying times. Telehealth services also encourage them to remain socially distant during this time.
If you haven’t already, consider extending access to healthcare coverage and use of telemedicine services during COVID-19 as this will help to drive incentive for employees to use these platforms throughout this period. In addition, be sure to inform remote workers of the different platforms out there and the benefits they offer. Depending on what they’re looking for, they may need to refer to one platform over another. For example, female employees looking to receive prescription acne products or other treatment medications may benefit more from utilizing a women-centric telemedicine company like Hers as opposed to using their brother company Hims, that’s explicitly geared toward men.
Schedule virtual happy hours
In the professional world, the phrase “all work and no play” tends to be pretty relevant for most employees, but it doesn’t have to be! Scheduling virtual happy hours through video chat like Google Hangouts or another team-bond activity/meeting is a great way to reinforce and provide support for remote workers. Given the fact that public outings, in-person meetings, and other preventative measures have been put in place in response to the coronavirus outbreak, scheduling time in to check in with other employees while working remotely is essential for keeping the company connected and building rapport with employees.
