Grappling With The Reality Of Employees Working From Home?

While working from home (WFH) arrangements can offer flexibility, help with employee retention and help you (as an employer) stay competitive, it also presents unique challenges – especially for small and medium-sized businesses.

As an employer, finding the right balance between supporting your team and maintaining productivity can be tricky. It is one I have grappled with myself as an employer. And of course, working from home is not practical for every business. There are some businesses where the work requires humans to actually be at work – like your traditional retail model, fixing cars, mowing and plumbing!

What are the top challenges of working from home arrangements?

For me they are about:

Managing Communication With Employees
For any business, communication is key. With a tight-knit team, losing the ease of in-person conversations can quickly become an issue. Miscommunication or delays in responding to urgent matters may affect day-to-day operations, particularly in businesses where rapid decision-making is critical.

Tip | Encourage regular online meetings using affordable communication tools like Teams or Zoom to keep connected. Regular contact with your WFH employee helps maintain the flow of information and ensures everyone is aligned on tasks and goals.

Added Pressure on In-Office Staff
If you’re operating a hybrid model, where some staff work from home and others remain on-site, the in-office team may feel burdened with extra tasks. They may end up covering for those working remotely, especially if the WFH employees cannot access specific systems or handle certain physical tasks.

Tip | Be upfront with your team about workload distribution and check in regularly to ensure no one is feeling overwhelmed. If certain tasks can only be done in the office, try rotating staff schedules to balance the load or explore temporary solutions like part-time or casual staff to ease the pressure.

Availability During Normal Working Hours
One of the challenges with remote work is ensuring employees remain available during their regular working hours. While working from home offers flexibility, it’s important that employees are accessible and responsive during their contracted hours, not fitting work around personal commitments.

Tip | Clearly communicate expectations around availability when working remotely. Ensure employees are logged in, reachable, and ready to work during their usual hours, just as they would in the office. Regular check-ins or status updates can help ensure everyone remains focused and on track throughout the day.

Managing Client Communications
When some of your staff are working remotely, client communication can become challenging. Delays in response times or coordinating meetings can risk damaging client relationships, especially if your team is not easily accessible or well-coordinated.

Tip | Establish clear communication protocols for remote staff, such as setting standard response times and using shared inboxes and calendars to schedule meetings. Make sure everyone is aligned on how to handle client inquiries, and the remote employees have reliable access to the tools they need to stay responsive. Regularly check in with clients to ensure they feel supported.


Where did I get to on Working From Home?

I have finally settled on a policy that works for People in Mind and key aspects include:

  • Team members must have the necessary technical knowledge before they can work remotely.
  • Each person is allowed to work from home one day a week, with the rest of the days in the office.
  • If a team member is away, others may need to come into the office, even on their scheduled work-from-home day.
  • At times, everyone will be required in the office for things like training sessions or important team meetings.


Is it time to update your WFH policies?

If you are considering implementing or refining your WFH policies, the team at People in Mind are here to help guide you through the process. Give us a call on 07 823 3250 – we will help with a smooth and successful transition for you and your employees.


Please note:
This information is offered as a guide only and for any situation you may be facing we recommend that you obtain independent professional advice. Of course People in Mind can provide that advice – just call us or email us and we will be in touch.