LABOUR RELATIONS BY JESSIE TAYLOR
Supporting employees during remote working lies in communication
W
hile remote working has been slowly becoming more popular, the global pandemic has made working remotely more of a necessity than ever before. But managing a team remotely can come with human resource challenges, such as ensuring employee wellbeing during stressful changes and anxiety around the pandemic.
The potential for increased productivity Remote working has been a growing trend over the last few years. In the last five years alone, the number of those employees working remotely grew by 44%. This number soared dramatically under Covid-19, as businesses were forced to close under lockdown regulations. While many businesses are fully operational, large portions of their workforces are still working remotely or spending only part of
36 | Public Sector Leaders | May 2021
their workweek in the office – and would prefer to keep it that way. Recruiting firm Robert Walters’ 2021 Salary Survey found that as many as 40% of respondent said they would like to move to full-time remote working, while another 27% said they would want to work remotely at least 50% of the time during this year.
More than ever, a holistic approach to employee wellbeing is needed The survey also estimated that some companies had been fasttracked to flexible working by as much as five to 10 years. The shift to remote working has brought some benefits to businesses. The Remote Working in South Africa 2020 study found that the move to working from home had improved productivity
in almost a third of companies polled. Companies that had a digital transformation strategy in place before the pandemic increased productivity to 70%. This increased productivity was seen despite less than 40% of South African businesses being ready for remote working when it became mandatory. The report added that South African trends mirrored the figures being recorded around the world. The study said companies that had transitioned seamlessly, such that 38% of the study’s respondents, said they would allow staff to continue working from home. Alongside improved productivity, many professionals have found personal growth and increased happiness through remote working. One such example is that half of the professionals in the 2021 Salary Survey said they
