Quality of life at work was already popular before the health crisis. Since it is linked (among other things) to our working conditions, the atmosphere in our company and our relationship to work, everyone's motivation, productivity and well-being depend on it.
Yes, but with Covid and the massification of teleworking, QWL has become... QWL (Quality of life in teleworking). A transformation that blurs our radars a little and requires us to thoroughly review our expectations in terms of QWL. Because working from home necessarily involves adjustments (or even compromises) and a renewal of our involvement to make things happen in terms of QWL. To help you see more clearly, here are some tips and tricks that will allow you to boost your QWL in order to better manage the changes brought about by a teleworker status.
Take stock of your individual and collective expectations
The perception of the quality of life at work would be above all... Subjective! And that doesn't change when you work from home. While some regret more than anything the reduction in informal time between colleagues, others are more impacted by the omnipresence of screens, which profoundly transforms their vision of human contact.
When it comes to QWL, everyone has their own vision of things, therefore. To best guide organizations so that they apply the best possible formula and can modify their approach according to the expectations of each employee, it is first and foremost necessary to dialogue and exchange.
Within the same team, because we don't all have the same personal and professional responsibilities, the same mental load and we are not all equal when it comes to teleworking, what will suit one is different from what will suit the other. The challenge, for a team or a collective to work, remains to exchange and take stock. And the good news is that you can do all this while working from home!
Adapt your workstation as well as possible... and spread the word
Since the beginning of the health crisis, we have all, at one time or another, experienced a great moment of loneliness due to teleworking. Remember that Zoom meeting where your colleague's cat started meowing to shake the walls? That Skype appointment with a client during which your internet connection was lost? That "contact case" ghost teenager who went behind your boss's screen grumbling during a Skype interview?
Because working from home involves bringing elements of one's private life into work, these series of small incidents affect us all and can have a direct impact on our QWL.
In order to avoid them and neutralize them as much as possible, it is advisable to do everything possible to set up a suitable workstation. If, like most French people, you don't have a dedicated office space, choose to place your workstation in a quiet place, if possible a little away from living or passing places.
Check your internet connection regularly and use the competition if your operator is not suitable for you. Also pay attention to the ergonomics of your work chair to avoid headaches and back pain that interfere with sleep. Also remember to protect yourself from noise. For example, you can install a soundproof curtain on one side of your desk, which will also allow you to better delimit your workspace. And of course, exchange with your colleagues: when they are also confronted with teleworking, they can share with you their own tips for gaining in QWL!
Make sure your life times are balanced
We've all more or less noticed it: in teleworking and/or in confinement, our notion of time... is not really the same anymore! Whether you tend to lose it or to subject it to distortions, after a few months, the result is sometimes a little messy.
Breaks that we forget or extend, more frequent breaks to snack or smoke, remote meetings that follow one another like on a TV screen, children who demand attention, spouse who takes advantage of being at home to ask us to run an errand or start a machine, etc.
To avoid as much as possible that personal and professional life end up merging, blurring time and impacting your productivity, it is advisable to adopt good practices. First of all, try to respect the office hours you had before switching to telecommuting. Then make it clear to your loved ones that the fact that you are at home does not mean that you will be more available in the morning or afternoon, when you are working. Also, don't give in to activities that interfere too much with your concentration and remember to keep your agenda and align yourself with the schedules of other members of your team, as much as possible.
Finally, if working from home is not an option all week, consider coworking spaces or negotiate with your employer the possibility of arranging your time in telecommuting. He may be able to offer you to come to the site two days a week and telework the rest of the time, for example.
Engage with more isolated colleagues
According to a report by Anact-Aract, employees who were used to working together before the lockdown suffer less from the negative effects of teleworking in terms of isolation than those who were more isolated before the start of the health crisis. Maybe you have a colleague with a slightly introverted temperament who seems to suffer more from their status as a teleworker or maybe you yourself suffer from the loneliness that can be linked to this status?
To break the ice and dare to talk about relational isolation, take advantage of the end of a Zoom meeting or an informal webcam time with your colleagues. In this regard, humour, provided it remains inclusive, can be useful. He works miracles!
A little note of humour will lighten the atmosphere and start the discussion. Because sharing your difficulties and opening up the debate can encourage your employees to dare to do the same. Freeing up speech is essential and, in the long term, can allow organizations to better adapt to the needs of their employees. In any case, maintaining your professional network is more than essential when working from home. This helps to create social ties with your employees and to reduce isolation.
Prevent the risk of overwork
Of course, on paper, teleworking has the merit of saving us time because we leave transport behind since we work from home. So we tend to think that this time saved is synonymous with less stress... which is not necessarily the right long-term calculation! Teleworking, in fact, should not be conceived as an advantage offered to employees, but rather as a way of organising work. Otherwise, it can carry even more stress than working on site.
From the double day of the housekeeper to professional burnout, there is only one step. In teleworking, the multiplication of remote meetings, the shift to all-written-communication, the profusion of digital tools and the time spent in front of screens give the impression of not being able to disconnect. Sometimes, great fatigue sets in and then you have to face it .
However, knowing how to switch off prevents stress, fatigue, overwork and maintains motivation, performance and reliability. To prevent the risk of overwork, do everything possible not to deal with a case in the evening, for example. If you don't have an emergency and if your weekends were not spent at work until then, don't change anything in your routines and continue to take time for yourself in the evenings and throughout the weekend. Finally, when you work, take regular breaks , at fixed times if you tend to forget them. QWL also involves health!
