COVID is Showing Us that Teleworking Can Work!
My Workspace at Home
Since Governor Northam’s quarantine order to stay home was delivered on March 15th, employees are developing creative solutions, embracing flexible schedules, and finding new ways to connect. With so many of us skipping our daily commute, transportation-related emissions are decreasing rapidly, especially in densely populated areas. Since the largest source of GHG emissions in the US is transportation, with over half of those coming from passenger cars and light-duty trucks, keeping commuters off the road has some serious potential to reduce emissions. Although we would never wish the pain this pandemic has wrought on any community, we can't help but be hopeful that perhaps the silver lining is that the pandemic is showing us what is possible and the climate gains that can be made when we act together.
In addition to the environmental benefits, research has shown over 75% increased productivity and focus among employees when having the option to work from home, busting the myth that remote employees are less committed or productive than their in-office counterparts.
Furthermore, some organizations are seeing more engagement in their services and programs because of online access.
Can Teleworking Stick and If So, How?
In light of these benefits and as the reopening of the economy is beginning, can organizations continue to support telework options for employees? With these questions in mind, I spoke with several Central Virginia nonprofits and businesses about ways they’ve adapted to this thrust into telework and the key factors they’re considering to further integrate telework beyond the COVID-19 health crisis.
Adjusting to new “coworkers” at home (kids, extended family, college-age sons and daughters), discovering the reality of Zoom Fatigue, and rallying through the challenges of technology hasn’t always been easy, but organizations are beginning to recognize that they’re adapting to a virtual work culture and seeing the tangible and collective benefits.
Finding the Right Tools and Policies
A key to success is finding the right methods for virtual collaboration. According to Mary Raferty, Executive Director of Virginia Conservation Network (VCN), “There is no one-size-fits-all solution. Not for any one organization or any one employee.” And while introducing new technologies for remote work can sometimes be met with trepidation, finding the right tool can increase efficiency and keep teams connected.
Luckily, employers and employees have dozens of options to choose from-- from Zoom and Google Meet to Basecamp and Trello. Trello has been using their own product to work remotely since their inception and created ‘the ultimate guide’ for users.
It’s also important to implement practices that facilitate communication and workflow.
Practices that Work:
Have a policy or clear guidelines about which channels are used for what kinds of communication so that staff can stay organized and focused.
Ask your team what works for them. Apex Clean Energy has been sending corporate-wide polls to get a pulse of how things are going by hearing from their employee base.
Make sure everyone is on the same page with an agreement about remote procedures. Our local RideShare program has a great guide to help employers and employees be communicative, successful teleworkers including sample templates for defining work objectives and reporting progress, as well as a sample remote procedures checklist and telework agreement.
Respecting Work/Life Balance
The downside to remote work is that some people are overworking, says Ellen Meyer, Chief of Staff at the Seraphic Group. Since the work/life boundary isn’t as clear while working from home, Ellen found that encouraging her team to be clear about their availability and respecting their own boundaries has empowered employees to maximize productivity during their time ‘on the clock’ and protect their time to recharge ‘off the clock’.
Practices that Work:
As work hours continue to be more fluid and flexible, clearly communicating progress, expectations and boundaries will become increasingly more important to avoid employee burnout, promote productivity, and boost team morale.
Communicate availability by keeping shared calendars updated and setting guidelines for how often to check-in to help employees manage their time and boundaries, as well as having an open dialogue about what success looks like while teleworking.
At Apex Clean Energy, their team received HeadSpace accounts to promote meditation and mindfulness throughout the day, helping employees strike a healthy work/life balance.
The Virtual Water Cooler
By now, we realize that the office provides more than just a focused place to work. Spending time with coworkers at the water cooler or going out for lunch is a huge part of working on a team and people have certainly noticed this missing element. So how can we replicate that remotely?
Organizations are finding creative ways to keep teams connected with virtual happy hours, themed staff meetings, and chatroom prompts with a question of the week. Ryan Jacoby, Deputy Director of Operations and Advancement at the Center for Nonprofit Excellence, told me that their team introduced optional coffee chats during the week among other opportunities that “allows folks to create community and connection when they need it most.”
Fostering this connection looks different for every organization.
At the Seraphic Group, their team has scheduled virtual movement classes throughout the week, including two times each day for the 4-minute workout designed by their CEO, Zach Bush MD. No matter the method, teams benefit from opportunities to connect and feel a sense of togetherness. And while connecting over video chat isn’t quite the same, “seeing everyone log on to the screen has a homecoming sensation,” says Ellen Meyer.
Practices that Work:
Make time for connection on the human level by celebrating wins, birthdays, and ‘workiversaries’ with some virtual fun.
Whenever possible, Kelli Palmer, Director of Global Sustainability at CFA Institute, encourages her team to use the camera feature during video conferences to strengthen human connection.
Creating a virtual break room can help employees connect throughout the day, where team members can ‘pop in’ to a video chat room to see who is up for a quick chat or cup of coffee. Alternatively, creating a question of the week or a thread of funny, uplifting content can help facilitate some team bonding.
Businesses have the opportunity to come out of this historic time with new work policies that empower employees, promote productivity, and positively impact the environment.
For businesses committed to climate leadership, telework is becoming an even more viable tool for lowering their carbon footprint. Keeping in mind that ”you’re at home trying to work, while also trying to survive a pandemic,” Kelli Palmer at CFA Institute is also communicating the positive environmental impacts of reduced GHG emissions to her team. “CFA has been aware of the correlation between working from home and environmental impacts even before this pandemic, so we’re continuing that message by sharing the obvious, uplifting outcomes like cleaner rivers.”
In a time when our abilities to stay connected and work collaboratively have been tested, people have risen to the occasion. Now, organizations have the opportunity to incorporate telework in ways that work for everyone and demonstrate climate leadership by lowering transportation-related emissions from employee commutes.
Going Back to Business as Usual? We Hope Not!
While these emissions reductions are most noticeable at the local level in the short term, embracing the shift toward telework (even after in-person work is possible) can help keep transportation-related emissions down. Surface transport makes up nearly half of the emissions reductions related to social distancing restrictions, according to a recent study published in Nature Climate Change on May 19th.
As air quality improves, waterways clear, and wildlife returns, we’ve certainly witnessed the ecological benefits of teleworking. But what will happen when daily commutes return and emissions start to increase? We will go back to business as usual?
We hope not. This thrust into telework culture has shown that we can be productive from afar and perhaps, we don’t need to go back to the ‘old’ normal when social distancing restrictions are lifted.