Challenges faced by Employees while Working from Home

The COVID-19 pandemic came with many challenges in every sector of society. Companies had to shift their workforces to virtual platforms in order to be able to function smoothly. For this purpose, many companies opted for the work-from-home culture in order to keep their businesses afloat. However, employees also faced many challenges while working from home. In this blog, we discuss some of the challenges faced by employees and some effective solutions to make this mode of work more efficient.

1. Due to WFH, the work-life balance has been disturbed and the boundaries between personal and professional life are blurred. Employees working remotely struggle to maintain a proper work-life balance and thus have higher stress levels.
   Solution: We can have a small home-office space that separates personal life from professional life. We can have a fitness schedule to maintain physical health. Practising yoga and meditation can greatly help in reducing stress levels. We can also set aside some time to practise hobbies to avoid mental burnout. Also, conveying boundaries clearly can avoid the culture of a 24/7 work culture.


2. Many employees also face internet connectivity issues because they are situated in remote areas. Many people are not able to afford high-speed internet due to financial issues.
   Solution: Companies can provide secure internet facilities like modems to connect to company assets. Also, employees can have a network backup and avoid the usage of multiple devices over the same internet connection.


3. The biggest issue faced by associates while working from home is the problem of infrastructure and asset failure. This issue when raised takes some time to be corrected by the proper personnel and thus results in delays in the completion of deliverables.
   Solution: The system should be checked at regular intervals to avoid failures. Also, the information of asset failure should be conveyed as soon as possible so that it can be resolved at the earliest.


4. One of the most important WFH challenges is the weak bonding between members of a team. The lack of trust between team members can sometimes decrease the overall productivity of the team in WFH mode since everyone is working remotely.
   Solution: This can be rectified by arranging daily formal meetings of team members to keep the team updated on the project status. Also, informal meetings of team members can be held once or twice a month to allow them to interact with each other on topics unrelated to work. Also, teams can engage in some virtual team building fun activities in order to know each other better and to be able to trust each other.


5. Infrastructure and Data Security issues are of primary concern to any organization. There is a threat of data breaches and cyber-attacks while working from home. Also, overload on servers is a major issue faced by associates.
   Solution: Employees should access company data on company authorized assets only in order to assure data security. Also, associates should avoid unnecessary use of servers and if the server cannot bear the load then some of the load can be moved on Private Cloud-based servers.