X WFH (Work From Home) issues and how to solve them

Ever since the COVID pandemic forced a global lockdown, the concept of work from home has become the new normal for businesses.

Most companies adopt the remote working method alongside the in-office working method to avoid unfortunate circumstances like a COVID pandemic. They have room to continue their work from any location and keep their business on track.

A fortunate turn of events is that this hybrid method actually increases employees’ productivity because of the flexible hours.

Although remote working has shown a positive impact in handling business processes, there are some issues creating trouble for both companies and employees.

In this article, we will discuss some major work from home issues and different solutions to deal with them.

What do you mean by Remote Working or Work From Home?

Before we start, you should become familiar with the concept of Work From Home. Looking at the term itself, you can understand that it’s a method of working from one’s own home without physically going to the office. It is also known as remote work or telecommuting.

Employees can do office work from their own business using company-approved or own devices and tools. They have to follow the rules and policies set by the company.

Generally, employees have to work during office hours from home. Some offices give employees the facility to work during flexible working hours. Internet and internet-enabled device are the first major requirements for remote working employees.

Why are businesses adopting the Work From Home concept?

Although the popularity of the Work From Home method began after the pandemic, businesses are sticking to it. The first reason for this step is to avoid halting work due to unfortunate events like a pandemic or natural disasters.

According to a recent survey, 77% of remote working employees showed 24% more productivity during office hours. Such a stat reflects the importance of providing flexibility to employees. The ability to balance work and personal life can be a huge boost for employees to work better.

Companies, small or big, receive a great deal of positivity by implementing remote working environments. There are many benefits of remote work that impact the overall growth of businesses. Here are some of them:

Benefits of Work From Home for businesses

1.   Increase in Productivity

Employees give better performance when they have the flexibility of location and time for doing their job. Businesses have busted the myth that remote workers are lazy. In fact, remote workers show higher productivity than those working in-office.

2.   Reduce business expenses

The remote working method can reduce the cost of office space, utilities, office equipment, power usage, etc. The overall annual savings per remote working employee depends upon the business size, which can be significant for other business processes.

3.   Time savings

One of the most crucial benefits of virtual work is that employees save a huge amount of time. They don’t need to travel from home to the office every working day. They can instantly connect with fellow teammates and other departments with remote working tools.

10 major Work From Home issues in businesses

As much as working from home sounds fun and benefits businesses, it is even more difficult to handle than working in-office.

There are several challenges a business must face when adopting remote work. Here are 10 major work-from-home issues that businesses have to overcome for running a business from home.

1.   Communicating with office staff and customers

The very first obstacle of remote working is communication. It is very important to communicate internally with employees and team members for running any business. And communications can go sideways without a proper phone system.

Traditional POTS or PBX phone systems use copper wire connections to handle communication channels. But traditional landlines are not always effective for remote communication with teams and managers.

How to solve it?

The best solution for handling internal communication is to adopt cloud telephony. There are various cloud-based phone systems that are far superior to traditional phone systems. It uses an internet connection that is perfect for remote working locations.

Cloud-based phone systems provide advanced features and services that help employees stay connected with team members and managers. With high VoIP call quality, cloud phones offer clarity in communications at an affordable rate.

2.   Work life-personal life dilemma

When you work from home, the space between work life and personal life gets really small. Remote working employees generally face problems in balancing their office works at home.

Employees who work office hours can usually relax at home in the evening. They can disconnect from work and return home. This schedule gets disturbed when working from home.

Since the barrier between work and home is blurred, employees may find themselves stuck in a work mindset for an extended period of time. Many employees become overworked, resulting in a decline in output over time. Furthermore, it has the potential to harm their non-work relationships and social lives, resulting in widespread discontent.

How to solve it?

A set of well-defined work-life and personal-life rules will help your employees to balance work from home. You need to take frequent breaks to freshen your mind. Set up your workstation separate from personal space.

3.   Mental health problems

Working from home means you have to work alone, which is a far cry from the typical office environment. It can demotivate employees, reduce social interaction and rely on others to be more productive.

Furthermore, one person alone completes all the tasks. Finally, the never-ending virtual meetings with no human connection can be really frustrating. These are the issues that might lead to mental health issues.

How to solve it?

Organize virtual activities and gatherings that are enjoyable, soothing, and revitalizing. Invest in video solutions that allow employees to see one other on their computers.

Finally, inspire people to interact with one another and discuss their issues. Assist an employee in seeking medical assistance if they develop serious issues.

4.   Regular distractions at home

If you work from home, being productive throughout your working hours might be difficult even though you have a defined routine and a dedicated workspace.

It isn’t easy to concentrate when personal items and reminders of duties surround you. Distractions such as the television, literature, and laundry begin to beckon you.

Despite having planned to work at a certain time, you might find a reason to leave early. If your family members are also present, they will take every opportunity to interrupt you.

How to solve it?

Separating yourself into a separate room or working away from the bed can assist you in avoiding distractions. Avoid watching TV while working. Noise-canceling headphones can help you avoid background noises. Don’t let your family members bother during office hours.

5.   Checking performance metrics

Average managers and supervisors frequently fail to keep track of the concrete performance of the teams. Supervisors can monitor how long their employees spend sitting at their desks in dire situations.

Managers can’t observe if employees are at their workstations when they work virtually. While sitting on a desk isn’t considered work, lazy bosses will often allow lazy employees to get away with it provided they arrive on time and put forth the bare minimum of effort to get some work done.

Managers and employees must agree on what accurate solution for each individual on the team. Every remote employee needs to have a key performance indicator (KPI) that measures their performance.

How to solve it?

Companies use different Key Performance Indicators (KPI) to measure the performance of the employees. You can ask your supervisors and managers about the KPI and learn about your performance. It’s necessary to have KPI to show the progress of your work.

6.   Vulnerable to technical challenges

Companies usually provide technical arrangements like a computer, tools, internet connection, and other related equipment when employees work from the office. However, the case is the opposite while working from home.

You will end up facing different issues like security breaches, power cuts, set-up problems, etc. It can create a problem if an employee doesn’t know much about tech.

How to solve it?

Request your company’s technical team to check and set up your software and hardware in person. If that isn’t possible, a video call should do the thing for you. You need to get a good internet connection line. Get proper tools and software from the company to improve better chances.

7.   Lack of motivation

It’s essential to stay motivated while working, especially working from home. You need always to stay positive and maintain productivity. But it can be tough to do when you are all day alone working quietly.

Employees frequently become comfortable, making just enough to get by and lose sight of their lengthy career objectives. They don’t pass by the office every day, don’t ask coworkers about the latest promotion, and ignore all the signs that they could be doing the more challenging and gratifying job.

How to solve it?

Make a list of your financial and career objectives for the long term. Talk with your manager about prospects for growth at least once a quarter. You can read motivational books, listen to motivational audiobooks, or go to inspiring events.

8.   Loss of social interactions

Working alone at home will eventually become a huge toll. People need to have social interactions every now and then, but while working remotely, people lose that privilege almost all the time.

Having no interactions with people can reduce their interest in doing their time. They will lose track of time and won’t be able to complete the work on time. Not just that, working alone will cut out the working synchronously with team members.

How to solve it?

Anticipating this problem and making plans for social engagement outside of work will help. Typically, having lunch with local friends or coworkers, going to the gym, or arranging plans for lunch.

You can make video conversations with friends, coworkers, and family. Consider solo outdoor activities such as walks, shopping, hikes, or others that provide plenty of fresh air.

9.   Time-zone and location differences

Cloud services enable businesses to hire potential employees from all over the world regardless of location. However, the drawback of this benefit is that you’ll wind up with staff working in various time zones and places.

Although remote employees are good at working independently, they regularly need to collaborate with other team members working remotely. But due to time differences, it may not be easy to schedule meetings for 1:1 sessions for collaboration.

How to solve it?

Businesses need to focus on synchronous and asynchronous communications while working remotely. If there are urgent meetings and remote team meetings, employees should adopt synchronous communications.

If there are any non-urgent meetings, then focus on asynchronous communications. Make a guideline to have smooth interactions even at different time zones.

10.               Weak supervision and unclear directions

People enjoy complaining about their bosses. However, bosses play an important role in giving direction and monitoring. They not only tell you what you need to do, but they also provide you with feedback on how well you’re doing it.

When you work from home, you will likely receive less guidance and oversight. It’s not easy for your supervisor to direct you when you are at home. Remote employees need supervision and clear direction to keep the work progress on track.

How to solve it?

Maintain regular contact with your supervisor while working at home. Inquire about which tasks you should prioritize and when you should anticipate completing each one.

Communicate with them to review your progress, difficulties, and potential solutions once a week. Maintain communication with them so that they may provide better comments and guidance.

To sum up

Working from home is an excellent addition to businesses for managing their employees more effectively. Although there are some concerning issues, there are ways to solve them to establish a smooth virtual working environment. Eventually, employees can increase their productivity as well as streamline the workforce at home.