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Help your Employees Burn Bright not Out

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We have all had weeks during which we envision the perfect working environment as being a set up at home with convenient access to snacks, caffeine and maybe even a dash of cheeky daytime television viewing. There have been times for us all when someone mentions their remote status and we release a sigh of envy at their not having to venture out into the bitter wilderness (let’s face it, we are all that dramatic at 6am) before the sun has even risen. Is remote working or working from home all it’s cracked up to be?

Recent studies have shown that contrary to our own inherent bias about the joys of working from home workers who come in to the office at least once a week are in fact happier than those who work entirely remotely. Whilst flexible and remote working have obvious positive points for the employee, there are some issues that employers should be aware of in order to assist these workers in maintaining productivity and avoiding burnout and loneliness issues which can damage employee wellbeing on a number of levels.

Loneliness is an obvious issue with remote workers as they don’t have access to the conversations and personal daily interactions one has in an office environment. Remote workers can often feel entirely separate to the office environment and a bit cut off from this world. These workers miss out on the sense of community that comes from working in an office environment and also the bonds that result from daily interaction with others. Humans are social creatures by nature and thrive on interaction, when a worker receives no interaction for extended periods it can lead to times of depression.

The term ‘burnout’ is unfortunately one which is becoming increasingly common in recent years as workers begin to push themselves further and further in the pursuit of success. Burnout generally refers to employees pushing themselves to a point at which they can no longer function. It is said that this phenomenon is seen regularly in remote workers due to the fact that they can more easily stretch their working hours in a way that is not sustainable in the long term. Burnout is perhaps one of the worst things any employee can suffer as once the employee has fallen behind, this can become a negative cycle as they attempt to catch up.

So how can the employer best support remote workers and assist them in avoiding the pitfalls of burning out, and the deep loneliness that can result from the lack of daily interaction?

  • Ensure that remote workers feel part of a larger community.
  • Consider having a chat or video conference feature in which remote workers can interact with office workers for regular updates and to ask questions etc.
  • Check in with remote workers regularly to ensure that they are ok.
  • Offer a day in which remote workers are welcomed into the office for an office lunch or meeting.
  • Engage in conversations with remote employees and colleagues that relate to issues outside of work, so that they feel that others have an interest in their lives similarly to how they would feel in an office environment.
  • Ensure that remote workers are not keeping unsociable hours and that they have their standard non-work time.

The new flexibility of working hours that modern technology affords us is of course a positive, but it takes effort on both the sides of the employer and the employee to ensure that remote workers do not feel isolated from the rest of the company community.

As always, we here at EcovisDCA are available to assist should you have any queries on any business or financial matters. We look forward to hearing from you.

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~ DCA PARTNERS, DECLAN DOLAN & EAMONN GARVEY

Employee Relationships

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Once More unto the Breach (of trust)

We have spoken in the past about the importance of having a happy workforce of employees in your business, as well as speaking about how vital having a decent work-life balance is for personal and business health. Reports this week suggest that many Irish employees remain sceptical of their employers in recent years, hopefully something that can be rectified going forward. As big supporters of Irish SMEs we would always advise checking in with your employees and ensuring that they are happy in their roles through regular reviews etc.

Communications Group Edelman published their 2019 Trust Barometer this week, suggesting that less than 7 in 10 employees in Ireland trust their company management. This places Ireland in the bottom three quarters of all countries surveyed in terms of trust in business management structures.

Edelman CEO Richard Edelman has been quoted as saying of the findings:

“The past two decades have seen a progressive destruction of trust in societal institutions, a consequence of the recession.”

That same old refrain we have heard for many years now as who among us would have guessed that the recession would have such far reaching effects further on in time? The report also suggested that globally, employees are more likely to trust their direct line manager as the person that they are most closely in contact with. Many of those surveyed believe that it is up to the CEO to impose changes to the working world, rather than waiting for Government heads to impose changes.

Employees remain willing to open their trust, but this report has found that this trust must be earned and efforts must be made to meet the expectations of their employers. An employee should feel secure in their role and confident to approach in the event of any issues or queries. This in turn leads to employees who are often more willing to go above and beyond in their roles, because they feel valued on both a personal and a business level. In addition, happy, satisfied and valued employees remain more likely to speak up and advocate and recommend their company.

As employers, and especially employers in the SME market, we must continue to recognise our employees as people in their own right and allow employees to grow and flourish in their roles without feeling taken advantage of. It is vital as management to keep abreast of all goings on within your business and though this is a daunting task, getting to know your employees and creating a happy and thriving workplace can also be an incredibly rewarding and gratifying one. Valued employees are loyal employees.

As always we here at EcovisDCA are always available to help with any new business or finance queries you may have. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

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~ DCA PARTNERS, DECLAN DOLAN & EAMONN GARVEY

I’ll Have What She’s Having

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The supposed ‘Sunday Fear’ is something which has inspired countless jokes, memes and GIFs in recent years. As social media has become more of an inherent part of every day in much the same way as our morning dose of caffeine, the way in which we communicate our levels of stress, discomfort and job dissatisfaction in general has changed. Rather than being something we might bring up in general lunch time conversation, we have taken to posting memes about the dreaded Sunday Blues and what level of Monday we are currently at, while tagging friends and family members who may feel similarly. On the surface, these may seem like mere funny photos and videos and a coincidence as the thousands of shares rack up, recent findings suggest that not only is the ‘Sunday Fear’ a real phenomenon, but that employees are actively doing something about it.

According to data released recently by popular jobs search website Indeed, the current most popular time for a job search in Ireland is 1pm on a Monday, and this time seems to be similar across Europe, signifying that the dissatisfaction people feel going from Sunday into another week is something that is being dealt with at the earliest possible availability. Researchers for Indeed analysed the search patterns of jobseekers across five European countries to reveal this Monday trend.

Ireland                                     1pm Monday

United Kingdom                     1pm Monday

Germany                                 12pm Monday

France                                     11am Monday

Belgium                                   11am Monday

Whilst, France and Belgium might be the early birds, this is an interesting trend for Irish jobseekers, and the data is compiled from all searches whether they be via phone or desktop. The research also found that searches are not limited to these times by any means, with many also searching during weeknight evenings.

According to Mariano Mamertino, EMEA economist with Indeed:

“The power of the internet has transformed the way all of us look for a job. With just a few keystrokes or taps on our mobile device, we can view millions of vacancies whenever and wherever we want. […]”This reveals perhaps the emotional side of looking for a new job. Just as the start of January is a very popular time for people to consider a job change, so too the start of the working week.”

So our mobile devices aren’t just useful for scrolling through those Sunday and Monday memes, but can actually have an immense transformative effect on how we advertise for and gain employment, and social media is certainly an excellent tool to be harnessed in business.

As always we are available for any advice or guidance you may require on business or finance matters.

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~ DCA PARTNERS, DECLAN DOLAN & EAMONN GARVEY

WORKPLACE FLEXIBILITY

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We have spoken in the past about the importance of maintaining a feasible work/life balance and how important a reasonable balance is for the mental health and wellbeing of both employees and employers alike. Whether you are still working your way up the career ladder or have reached the peak already, the maintenance of a healthy work/life balance is what ultimately helps you to reach your goals. With a busy season for business and customers alike fast approaching, we thought it wise to discuss the modern day phenomenon crucial to a happy and healthy workplace: workplace flexibility. Now, don’t panic, we aren’t going to ask you to unroll that dusty yoga mat before January 1st. Rather, we will be speaking of ways in which the workplace itself can contribute to a healthier and happier home life.

 

As both our working and our home lives become increasingly busy and filled with integral conflict it is important to create flexibility where possible. In these modern times, maintaining flexibility is becoming increasingly easy as it is possible to be connected 24-7 (which is, of course an issue for another day).

 

From a business point of view, it is beneficial to the company to ensure that its employees are satisfied and happy on a daily basis which, as we have previously discovered is essential to maintaining a functional workplace. The inclusion of alternative working styles is important to maintain a good balance. Working remotely has become one of the most popular methods of gaining flexibility in the workplace and one which has seeped into most modern lives as few among us are innocent of checking our working email from home on our phones.

 

Maintaining flexibility in the workplace has been proven to increase productivity as the interconnectedness of our modern offices can combine differing work types or schedules at once whilst working from home reduces time and effort spent battling the daily traffic. Meanwhile skype and other video call platforms have allowed for meetings and hiring interview processes to become more immediate as we no longer need wait for a face to face meeting. Technology has now begun to redefine the workplace as well as how we communicate, and Irish companies are beginning to harness this new power through video and instant messaging as well as file sharing.

 

To conclude, a happy workforce is a productive one, and modern life allows for greater flexibility in the manner in which we work. A work/life balance has never been more important to the Irish workplace as our busy schedules create a time-poor workforce, the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs have been quoted as saying that

“Family-friendly working arrangements can play an important role in any overall pay and benefits package.”

 

This can be easily harnessed by employers to create a new working environment which will be increasingly productive as a result.

 

Should you require any help, advice or guidance on any business or financial matters, please don’t hesitate to contact us here at DCA Accountants where we will be happy to help.

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~ DCA PARTNERS, DECLAN DOLAN & EAMONN GARVEY