During COVID-19 and lockdown I have spent a lot of time focusing on working from home and the potential pitfalls we all face, whether this is the difficulties to train staff or keep the culture of your business alive. Do not misunderstand why I have written this, there are many positives in working from home, however, I have focused on those elements that we need to be aware of now and moving forward when introducing working from home on a more permanent basis (including semi-permanent). Please take some time to review the below, I am available to discuss this further with you and your business.
Culture - Working from home has many many advantages, for most, however there are certain elements that will become far more difficult to implement and progress. For one, it is very challenging to create, or continue, a culture of a business whilst working from home. It is difficult to translate the ethos and brand of the firm if you are not all together, the same applies for employees when speaking with clients. As energetic beings, the more we are together and create together, the better the energy, understanding and passion.
Training - Another area that I believe is a huge hurdle to overcome is training of staff, especially training of junior staff, as well as the hiring of. Within finance, like many jobs, experience in the role and observing the role and its duties daily are key. When someone is in an office they can learn sub-consciously by watching situations, listening to conversations with colleagues & clients and understanding the methods behind the team’s decisions. All of this is invaluable experience and education that is going to be hard to replicate when working from home.
Productivity – Whether you are working in an office or working from home, you are likely to encounter distractions. In the office this can be a myriad of situations, from loud colleagues, people on the phone, being pulled in to internal meetings etc., however, working from home the distractions are different. Depending on your situation you can have your husband or wife distracting you, your children shouting, crying and laughing (not always in that order) or the door bell going, usually with another delivery. All of which is less than ideal. The best way to resolve this is to have a separate room and space, ideally with a lock on the door, and explaining your day to the family – I have found that this often lessens the distractions. Analytical positions have often found that working from home does increase some productivity, however, the lack of connectivity to team, data and other staff can also have its drawbacks.
Technology hiccups – There is nothing worse when working then having internet or connectivity issues. It is bad enough when this happens in an office, when it happens when working from home there is a real problem. In many cases it will be down tools – an immediate loss of revenue. All you can do in this instance is to ensure that the company has spent wisely on technology and technology partners, whilst ensuring that their staff have the best hardware possible in their home offices, including a hardwired connection to the internet.
Compliance & protocol –As soon as the banking industry started to work from home there were immediate compliance risks, especially with regards to execution. There have been instances of regulations being broken by either taking calls with clients off-line, not disclosing the full nature of a call and a myriad of other misdemeanours. This is something that needs to be tightened up, especially as many staff enter back in to the office. The room for compliance errors is limited at the best of times, in the next stage of our re-entry it will be imperative that every firm is complaint whether in the office or working from home.
Air conditioning and air flow (in the office) - I am all for social distancing in offices and at work, however, like in most offices globally, has anyone thought in detail about the air conditioning systems that pump recirculated air throughout an office on a constant basis, and in many case the same system is use for the whole building. Whilst I appreciate that many firms are using additional filters in their systems, it is not going to be possible for every business globally. Surely no amount of social distancing will avoid this problematic hurdle. From my research I also understand the air flow and direction of is an important factor in the spread of the virus or viruses, perhaps the marriage between a highly effective filter and minimal air flow would provide the best results.
Mental health - This is a tricky subject to say the least, especially as mental health is not something you can necessarily see. In the UK it is estimated that 4.6 million people with mental health issues are employed, which equates to 1 in 6.8 employees experiencing mental health problems in the work place, and this was prior to COVID-19. With many employees not connecting with people, not leaving the house and not living a healthy life style, it could lead to many more cases down the line and the potential liabilities a company could be associated with on a longer term basis. If someone has a mental health issue, working from home could enhance this, especially when you add that working from home has been conducted during a very fine summer. What happens in winter when there is less daylight, it is colder, it is wetter? People are even less likely to get out of their homes. Similarly those working from home on a longer term basis may encounter there own mental health issues, whether the issue were there previously or not - if that is the case, the employers could be facing some hefty liabilities.
Staying organised – Working in the same place you live can be a tricky, especially if you work in the same place you spend you leisure time. Ideally you want to work in a different place to where you relax. This not only helps keep you organised, it is also better for you mentally and will help you to both get in the zone, and relax when you have finished you day.
Managing your time – Managing ones time is usually a lot easier and more effective when there is an established routine in place, something that has been changing constantly throughout the year. The most effective way to manage your time is to schedule your day, like a normal day in the office. This certainly helps with being more effective and efficient. Most businesses have a fixed structure that has seen positive results throughout this period, however, this is still something to be wary of.
Remembering to take breaks – Working from home can lead to a constant and endless process of work. As in the office, get up out of your chair, go for a walk, make a coffee, take in some fresh air. Whatever you do it is important for long term mental health to take regular breaks.
Switching off – When working from home it can be difficult to switch off at the end of the day. I know this for myself when I started my business. I usually started at 7am and finished somewhere around 2am. This is great, however, it is not sustainable for the longer term. As above, it is important separate where you work at home and where you eat, relax, play etc. Additionally, when you are away from your desk it is advisable to set your status to “away” or “offline” so not to be disturbed.
Collaborating – Whatever happens when working from home, nothing is easier then walking down a corridor or in to the next room to speak with colleagues and brainstorm on potential ideas. This is also the same when having breaks, lunch, coffees, or after work drinks – these moments together are difficult to replicate over Zoom, Chanty or Slack, however, it is important to encourage the wider business to speak and collaborate as they would do in the office. The added advantage of working from home is that more staff are disturbed less with non-work conversations, that said, collaboration is still key to positive progression.
Socially interacting – Working in an office is key to social interaction and creating a culture in a business. Working from home has made that difficult to replicate. That said, it is important to arrange social bonding time, over Zoom or any other video conference. We have come up with Friday Fun Time and have made an effort to get together for a meal and coffees.
Other potential issues are:
*Motivation & Long-term vision
*Not networking or failing to expand your network
*Working in casual clothes can lead to a different mental focus
*Team Communications not including the whole team – those that hide or can be hidden
*A feeling of missing out, not being in the office
*Not being visible to the reach of the business
Whilst there are many factors to take into account, both positive and negative, we believe that the above are points that need to be considered, if they have not been already.
Share this post
WORKING FROM HOME: POTENTIAL ISSUES AND CONCERNS
Share this post
During COVID-19 and lockdown I have spent a lot of time focusing on working from home and the potential pitfalls we all face, whether this is the difficulties to train staff or keep the culture of your business alive. Do not misunderstand why I have written this, there are many positives in working from home, however, I have focused on those elements that we need to be aware of now and moving forward when introducing working from home on a more permanent basis (including semi-permanent). Please take some time to review the below, I am available to discuss this further with you and your business.
Culture - Working from home has many many advantages, for most, however there are certain elements that will become far more difficult to implement and progress. For one, it is very challenging to create, or continue, a culture of a business whilst working from home. It is difficult to translate the ethos and brand of the firm if you are not all together, the same applies for employees when speaking with clients. As energetic beings, the more we are together and create together, the better the energy, understanding and passion.
Training - Another area that I believe is a huge hurdle to overcome is training of staff, especially training of junior staff, as well as the hiring of. Within finance, like many jobs, experience in the role and observing the role and its duties daily are key. When someone is in an office they can learn sub-consciously by watching situations, listening to conversations with colleagues & clients and understanding the methods behind the team’s decisions. All of this is invaluable experience and education that is going to be hard to replicate when working from home.
Productivity – Whether you are working in an office or working from home, you are likely to encounter distractions. In the office this can be a myriad of situations, from loud colleagues, people on the phone, being pulled in to internal meetings etc., however, working from home the distractions are different. Depending on your situation you can have your husband or wife distracting you, your children shouting, crying and laughing (not always in that order) or the door bell going, usually with another delivery. All of which is less than ideal. The best way to resolve this is to have a separate room and space, ideally with a lock on the door, and explaining your day to the family – I have found that this often lessens the distractions. Analytical positions have often found that working from home does increase some productivity, however, the lack of connectivity to team, data and other staff can also have its drawbacks.
Technology hiccups – There is nothing worse when working then having internet or connectivity issues. It is bad enough when this happens in an office, when it happens when working from home there is a real problem. In many cases it will be down tools – an immediate loss of revenue. All you can do in this instance is to ensure that the company has spent wisely on technology and technology partners, whilst ensuring that their staff have the best hardware possible in their home offices, including a hardwired connection to the internet.
Compliance & protocol –As soon as the banking industry started to work from home there were immediate compliance risks, especially with regards to execution. There have been instances of regulations being broken by either taking calls with clients off-line, not disclosing the full nature of a call and a myriad of other misdemeanours. This is something that needs to be tightened up, especially as many staff enter back in to the office. The room for compliance errors is limited at the best of times, in the next stage of our re-entry it will be imperative that every firm is complaint whether in the office or working from home.
Air conditioning and air flow (in the office) - I am all for social distancing in offices and at work, however, like in most offices globally, has anyone thought in detail about the air conditioning systems that pump recirculated air throughout an office on a constant basis, and in many case the same system is use for the whole building. Whilst I appreciate that many firms are using additional filters in their systems, it is not going to be possible for every business globally. Surely no amount of social distancing will avoid this problematic hurdle. From my research I also understand the air flow and direction of is an important factor in the spread of the virus or viruses, perhaps the marriage between a highly effective filter and minimal air flow would provide the best results.
Mental health - This is a tricky subject to say the least, especially as mental health is not something you can necessarily see. In the UK it is estimated that 4.6 million people with mental health issues are employed, which equates to 1 in 6.8 employees experiencing mental health problems in the work place, and this was prior to COVID-19. With many employees not connecting with people, not leaving the house and not living a healthy life style, it could lead to many more cases down the line and the potential liabilities a company could be associated with on a longer term basis. If someone has a mental health issue, working from home could enhance this, especially when you add that working from home has been conducted during a very fine summer. What happens in winter when there is less daylight, it is colder, it is wetter? People are even less likely to get out of their homes. Similarly those working from home on a longer term basis may encounter there own mental health issues, whether the issue were there previously or not - if that is the case, the employers could be facing some hefty liabilities.
Staying organised – Working in the same place you live can be a tricky, especially if you work in the same place you spend you leisure time. Ideally you want to work in a different place to where you relax. This not only helps keep you organised, it is also better for you mentally and will help you to both get in the zone, and relax when you have finished you day.
Managing your time – Managing ones time is usually a lot easier and more effective when there is an established routine in place, something that has been changing constantly throughout the year. The most effective way to manage your time is to schedule your day, like a normal day in the office. This certainly helps with being more effective and efficient. Most businesses have a fixed structure that has seen positive results throughout this period, however, this is still something to be wary of.
Remembering to take breaks – Working from home can lead to a constant and endless process of work. As in the office, get up out of your chair, go for a walk, make a coffee, take in some fresh air. Whatever you do it is important for long term mental health to take regular breaks.
Switching off – When working from home it can be difficult to switch off at the end of the day. I know this for myself when I started my business. I usually started at 7am and finished somewhere around 2am. This is great, however, it is not sustainable for the longer term. As above, it is important separate where you work at home and where you eat, relax, play etc. Additionally, when you are away from your desk it is advisable to set your status to “away” or “offline” so not to be disturbed.
Collaborating – Whatever happens when working from home, nothing is easier then walking down a corridor or in to the next room to speak with colleagues and brainstorm on potential ideas. This is also the same when having breaks, lunch, coffees, or after work drinks – these moments together are difficult to replicate over Zoom, Chanty or Slack, however, it is important to encourage the wider business to speak and collaborate as they would do in the office. The added advantage of working from home is that more staff are disturbed less with non-work conversations, that said, collaboration is still key to positive progression.
Socially interacting – Working in an office is key to social interaction and creating a culture in a business. Working from home has made that difficult to replicate. That said, it is important to arrange social bonding time, over Zoom or any other video conference. We have come up with Friday Fun Time and have made an effort to get together for a meal and coffees.
Other potential issues are:
*Motivation & Long-term vision
*Not networking or failing to expand your network
*Working in casual clothes can lead to a different mental focus
*Team Communications not including the whole team – those that hide or can be hidden
*A feeling of missing out, not being in the office
*Not being visible to the reach of the business
Whilst there are many factors to take into account, both positive and negative, we believe that the above are points that need to be considered, if they have not been already.
Should you wish to discuss how we can assist your team or business, please contact us on info@spartan-exec.com or oliver.rolfe@spartan-exec.com
Keep well and stay safe.
Best wishes,
Oliver