Taking Care of Your Remote Workforce
When Home Turns Into Your Long Term Office
As months go by, quickly turning into the close of 2020 - many of us still find ourselves and our end users remotely working-from-home (WFH), part-time or full-time - while short term seems to be turning into long term, potentially even permanent. Now that we've rushed to ensure that everyone's office set-up is fully operational and running smoothly, it's time to focus on taking care of their well-being, too.
As of late, we've been focusing on advice for getting at-home desk set-up for end users coordinated, configured, and functioning as if they were just like in-office experiences, only at home - including:
What You Need to Work-From-Home Successfully
Which Endpoints Are a Best Fit
How Centralized Management Software Can Help
What To Look For in a Hardware & Software Provider
Now, that our end user work force is physically up-and-running, let's talk about how we can check on and help to manage their mental well-being.
Tips for the Well-Being of Workers in Home Offices
Home Ergonomics
Sitting at a desk all day at home can cause the same problems as in-office. Sometimes worse. First off, be sure that end users are at desks with proper chairs. A chair should be comfortable with good back, and for some, even neck support. Also, proper monitors and keyboards, to accommodate good posture. Certainly not slumped over some makeshift, semi-serious couch set-up. Weight of arms should be supported and and wrist rests help for comfort. Good monitor placement is key and should be right in front of the end user, no higher than eye level, with keyboard right in front of that. Good head and neck posture should be practiced during audio/video meetings, with lightweight headsets if required. When chatting with end users, take a look around at their set-ups, and offer up suggestions for long term, home office ergonomics.
Physical Health
Some of the most obvious tips for physical health when working in a home office are also the most overlooked. Sometimes end users fall into the habit of not getting up and down - with no trips to make down the hall to coworkers and the like. It's good to move around now and then. Taking breaks for a walk around the house, or up and down the stairs, can help this while also assisting with resting one's eyes from screen time. Most end users will have the mindset to do this, but suggest for them to create a routine so that it really happens. Perhaps even scheduled in their calendars, Eating right, drinking water, and healthy snacks are good habits to get into at home. No grabbing a bag of chips in your PJs to munch on all day long - food preparation can really assist with this. Also, getting enough sleep is vital. Don't set up your office in your bedroom or take a laptop to bed with you. Be sure to "turn off" for the day.
Mental Well-Being
One of the best ways to check on the well-being of your at-home work force is just that - check in! Stay in touch. Communicate. If the physicality of a office has gone wayside, recreate a virtual one. Whether Skype, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, etc., daily video calls and weekly meetings should be visual. Be sure end users' expectations of work to be done and management expectations are clear - over-explain if need be. Show appreciation of end users and their work, and encourage them about self-care. Following a routine and setting "office hours" at home supports good mental health. These ideas set boundaries just as if workers were in an office, and working time is separated from personal time. Be sure to encourage the work force to remain social as much as possible - chatting with a coworker on break, or maybe even virtual happy hours. And, of course, with close household family and loved ones at the end of a day.
10ZiG Endpoints & Management for Remote-Working
Now, if you're still in the process of setting up end users at home and/or if you are having to send more employees home to work, 10ZiG offers Thin & Zero Clients for VMware, Citrix, and Microsoft, as well as other leading VDI vendors using Linux and Windows 10 IoT based platforms on x86 Intel/AMD hardware. Add in The 10ZiG Manager™ Server, and remote-working for your organization is a long term success!
10ZiG is an endpoint provider that provides top-quality VDI endpoints, enterprise software, service, and warranties. You can reach us at sales@10zig.com or +1 (866) 865-5250 for a no-cost consultation and/or get your FREE demo.