Feature Article
Working Through the Pandemic: Telecommuting
by Joseph E. Fritz, Investment Casting Institute D
ue to the prevailing situation, there are many of us that find ourselves in unfamiliar territory:
working from home. To many this may be appealing, but there are many obstacles that must be overcome to ensure a productive period of telecommuting.
Preparation The first obstacle to consider is the preparation that is required to ensure a productive “Shelter in Place” work experience. Work phones should be forwarded to employee residential or cellular lines to ensure continuity of normal daily communications. Materials necessary to complete daily tasks, such as printer paper, laptop computers and even multifunction printers, should be made available to short term telecommuters for home use. It is very important to assure affected
workers that they will be reimbursed for expenses incurred while working remotely. Telecommuters may need to purchase printer cartridge or toner when using their personal equipment, and depending on the affected individual’s phone service, there may be usage fees or long distance charges that will need to be addressed. In
cases where a complete
facility shut down is enacted, other considerations come into play. Notifying customers and suppliers of the situation is of the foremost importance. Mail should be forwarded to an individual with the proper authority to open all correspondence, scan the materials and email these documents to the appropriate recipient. UPS, FedEx and other carriers should also be notified. Lastly, facility engineering should inspect your operations prior to shutting down to ensure that your facility is being left in a safe and stable condition.
28 ❘ April 2020 ®
Staying Connected The first obstacle to consider is staying connected with coworkers.
Experts recommend Whether
you are a manager, department head or individual contributor, there is a social aspect of business that contributes to mental wellbeing.
daily communications, and if possible, daily video conferences with your work group to not only ensure that everyone is being productive, but also to make sure that everyone on the team is remaining well grounded.
Done correctly, daily video conferences can strengthen a team as it offers the same building blocks as a team building exercise. These are 1) Leadership, 2) Problem-Solving Skills, 3) Team Values and 4) Team Appreciation. Leadership: Putting your team in a situation outside of the norm also puts the team leader in untested waters. Leading a team remotely enables the team leader to improve their communications and decision making skillsets. Problem-Solving Skills: Issues that often arise within teams are usually due to poor communication which can cause misunderstandings, internal sabotage, and a decrease in efficiency. Daily video conferences where each participant is asked to discuss that they accomplished the day prior, what they are currently addressing and areas where they need assistance from others on the team is an effective combatant to poor communications. Like formal team building programs, the team identifies problems and works together to address them. Team Values: Working remotely offers the group the opportunity to recognize and further develop team values. Conference call attendees develop an understanding of what other individuals may appreciate and how they can work together. This forms a reference for employees to understand
how others behave and creates a culture of trust and mutual respect within the team. Team Appreciation: Employees who feel appreciated are usually much more motivated and committed to their work. Daily conversations with team members offer team leaders and coworkers the opportunity to show appreciation for the team and each other.
Distractions Working from home has its challenges. Interruptions from children and spouses are among the most challenging distractions to contend with. This is a difficult time for everyone, especially children that have been displaced from their classrooms and classmates. It is important to be understanding of the needs of others within your household, and it is appropriate to address them in a proper manner. This may interfere with telecommuters achieving their daily responsibilities within normal work hours. To combat this, management should assure telecommuters of their understanding of these distractions, while also expressing the need for telecommuters remain focused on their daily duties. In other words, telecommuters should work within their normal hours, but when distractions take them away from their duties, they must be mindful of putting in an “after hours” effort to ensure that their work disruption does not affect others in the company that depend on their performance. This is also an opportunity for managers and team leaders to express their appreciation for the telecommuter by recognizing the importance of their work and the trust that you place in them by allowing them to work independently.
Mental Wellbeing Working from home is more than a
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