Do you still have staff working remotely for your business? If yes, then you’re undoubtedly used to emails flying around at all hours of the day or night. However you track their work time, are you noticing that your team is working later than they should be?
For some, working from home has changed their lives. Your employees can be more flexible with their schedule during the day, allowing them to fit in school pick-ups and appointments that they previously couldn’t.
In turn, this means that more work is done during the night.
Microsoft’s attempt to figure out what to do
Microsoft recently conducted an internal survey to determine the impact of working from home and how it impacts collaborations. Their motive for conducting this research is to further make improvements to Teams.
The discover was that in a typical day, there are two main productivity spikes: one before lunch and one after lunch.
For almost a third of their workers, an additional productivity spike occurred at 10 pm. Usually for the people answering emails before going to bed.
Where now, employees don’t have to worry about commuting time. Without travel, their working time and availability has increased.
Employees at Microsoft actually increased their working time by 46 minutes, or 13%, each day. A major shift however, is a massive 28% rise in after-hours work.
And, while it may appear to be beneficial to business, it highlights how blurry the boundaries between work and family life have become.
Because the additional peak in activity actually has the potential to result in productivity loss. Employees are under increased pressure to promptly respond to emails, which increases their stress levels in the evenings and has an impact on morale and overall well-being.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella stated that businesses need to place greater emphasis on soft skills. Having effective management practices in order to adequately care for their employees’ well-being is so important.
Nadella’s recommendations to business owners
He recommends that business owners and managers set clear expectations for after-hours work. Staff shouldn’t feel obligated to be available at all times. One of these expectations should be that you don’t feel obligated to answer to emails on on off hours… even if they’re from your boss.
Are you setting the correct expectations for your employees? Are you giving them the tools they need to boost productivity without working longer hours?
Here’s an easy win that you yourself can set a precedent for. Instead of sending emails late at night, schedule them to go out the next morning.
Your employees will notice if the boss is doing something like this. It lets the company know they can accept and adapt to this culture. It’s worth a shot. Once your employees are onboard, you wont have to question if your team is working later than they should be.
Are you looking for more productivity-boosting tools for your business? We’d love to help. We’d be happy to recommend some productivity options right for you.
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Published with permission from Your Tech Updates.
