Do you know how your team are doing through Lockdown? - 3 Ways to support your employees remotely

The world is very different today than it was a few months ago. Lockdown in March had a huge impact on every business and every individual in different ways. It hasn’t been an easy time with home working, home schooling, isolation, increased workload due to colleagues on furlough, or anxieties about job security. Now with a second lockdown in winter it's becoming increasingly important to support employees and make sure they are staying fit and healthy both physically and mentally.

Most companies recognise the importance of an effective health and wellbeing programme, but how has your existing programme engaged and supported employees through the last few months? Do you know how your team are really doing, or is it time for a change? There is no simple solution, and planning for a future that is unknown is not easy. 

The best thing leaders can do is lean in, listen to employees, empathize with their concerns, communicate frequently and confidently, and be flexible and supportive to meet their needs as far as possible... but that can be a challenge! Here are Three ways you can support your team...

1. Be Flexible Working from home affects every employee differently depending on their responsibilities and living situations. People with a young family or elders to care for may need to juggle demands at home, meaning they need flexibility to do their job such as reduced hours, a compressed work week or even a leave of absence. Encourage managers to have open conversations to find a solution that works for both sides. Discuss how and when work can be accomplished – without intruding on employees’ privacy – and offer a wider range of options for flexibility, such as more leeway when assignments need to be turned in or adjusting work hours per day to allow more time to care for children and others. This way there are no surprises and everyone knows what is expected of them.

2. Encourage virtual socials Some people will be working at home for the first time and will be feeling a huge sense of social isolation. You cant replace the daily interactions with co-workers, meetings in the kitchen, water cooler or after-work drinks, but you can find other ways to keep people engaged with their peers. We know that these interactions with work colleagues are linked to worker well-being and sense of engagement with their job and the company they work for. Encourage teams to find time to have virtual coffees, lunches or even happy hours with their colleagues, or pick up the phone instead of sending an email. We are social creatures by nature and just a few minutes of interaction with others can have a huge impact on someone's day!

3. Get healthy together Keeping healthy though winter is not easy, and even harder with gyms closed and limited access to fitness clubs and activities. Support your team with ideas and resources to motivate them to look after themselves in terms of their physical activity and nutrition. Achieving the right balance is crucial for people to maintain a healthy weight, prevent illness, boost the immune system, enhance their mental wellbeing and be positive about how they look and feel. Exercise and a good balanced diet has also been shown to enhance energy levels and cognitive performance, meaning people get more out of their day. Fitness and nutrition sessions can be organised for all levels to access live or recorded, with a host of resources to cover every need.

Our mission at CK Fitness is to make work better every day and help you to engage employees in taking care of their wellbeing, recognise when they need support and give them the tools they need to achieve optimum health to perform at their best! 

We are pleased to be working with some market leaders on their employee wellbeing strategies to help employees keep on track with healthy lifestyle habits through this period of uncertainty. We are engaging teams though real time and recorded fitness sessions, resources to access advice and information on all things wellbeing, plus individual coaching sessions. Some of the topics being delivered through our latest assignment covers online resources and activity including:

•  Exercise at your desk
• Winter Fitness Motivation
• Boost your immune system to fight colds & flu
• Create a healthy space to work at home
• Get the right work / life balance 
• Managing stress

Bespoke programmes and activity can be tailored to YOUR business, YOUR teams and YOUR goals. Whatever you need, we've got it covered! Get in touch to find out how we can help you… We are rooting for your success!