HR: Realities of Remote Work

HUMAN RESOURCES

Transition to Business

By Paul Falcone

The New Realities of Remote Work, Especially for Working Parents

Our April edition is dedicated to the “Month of the Military Child,” and that certainly conjures up ideas of the many changes coming children’s way in the near future. But those changes need to be filtered first through their parents’ experiences in raising families in the new normal of our COVID world. Remote work and closed school districts have caused intense disruption to families over the past two years, and they’ve caused human resources professionals many sleepless nights as well. After all, trying to keep employees happy, families safe, and business continually operating was no easy balancing act.

The message from most organizations was to take care of your health and your family’s needs first. Organizations attempted to help in even the most nuanced ways, from purchasing groceries and paper products and masks for employees to standing up temporary onsite childcare centers to arranging for testing and vaccinations for all staff members. As we look back at the pandemic historically, however, we’ll find that we were fairly well prepared for its many challenges.

COVID Sped Up Trends Already Underway

First, the flexibility of remote work met the needs of the Gen-Y Millennials (the 35 and under crowd) as well as the Gen-Z Zennials (25 and under). These are the two most studied generational cohorts in human history, and they currently make up around 45% of the U.S. workforce (and are growing rapidly, especially as Baby Boomers move into retirement at the pace of 10,000 people per day). What is it that this 35-and-under crowd wants in its top five priorities consistently across all surveys?

• Diversity, equity, and inclusion • Corporate social responsibility • Environmentalism • Career and professional development • Work-life control and flexibility To this last point, COVID expedited a trend that was already well under way. Combined with the technology available for videoconferencing like Zoom and Microsoft Teams, our business world and society pieced everything together and fueled a new normal that many of us didn’t see coming—a non-9-to-5 work routine that was actually successful.

Balancing Work and Family Remotely

Which takes us to our next point: this new normal has created both challenges and opportunities for working families like never before. How do we balance working remotely while supporting our children whose schools may close on a moment’s notice? First, it’s critical that you separate work from family.

To try and do both simultaneously will likely lead to burnout and guilt. Employers should understand the new normal of working 9 – 5 with the kids at home, but if you suspect there’s any resentment or tension building, meet with your boss one-on-one and explain how you’re planning on managing your dual responsibilities, including pockets of time during normal business hours where you may need to dedicate your focus to family. Transparency is key, and we’re all doing our part to make remote working relationships succeed.

Second, ensure that you’re using technology like Slack and that good old-fashioned telephone to connect with peers for staff meetings as well as non-business conversations. It’s easy to feel isolated when you’re

not in the office or on the shop floor, so staying connected is not only good for business—it’s good for your mental health.

THE PAUL FALCONE

Finally, structure your day like you would in the office and keep a separate workspace for yourself at home, no matter how small or tight. You’re both a professional and a parent.

Maintaining space for yourself is critically important so that you can “serve both masters” without overstressing on what at times may feel like an impossible split. At a time when we’re focusing on the children while maintaining our work productivity, it’s critical that we take care of ourselves as parents first, which is the best way of guaranteeing that the kids’ needs are being met at most times as well.

You can connect with Paul on LinkedIn at

www.linkedin.com/in/paulfalcone1

Paul Falcone (www.PaulFalconeHR.com) is a human resources executive and bestselling author on hiring, performance management, and leadership development.

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