As the United States has been mandated to continue social distancing practices until April 30, 2020, companies who are currently operating have had to switch to virtual and remote working practices. And as if COVID-19 has not turned the world upside down, companies now face even longer unprecedented times and uncharted territory during this pandemic. 

As the leading creative management firm in Austin, Texas, we are able to easily switch all of our employees to remote working, but this poses new challenges in communication and making sure that employees are staying productive during COVID 19. 

A great example of how virtual working options are allowing our employees to adapt to the craziness of life right now. Need to road trip? Our employees turned their phone into a mobile hotspot and were able to still join meetings and do work. 

However, not all employees are able to easily stay productive while remote working and here’s how companies can help those employees. 

Business as usual 

Don’t stop a project because everyone is remote working because this can send mixed signals to employees that as a manager you do not trust them or help to create more uncertainty and stress. Projects still launch and businesses still run on as normal as possible; however, make sure to reinforce to employees that they are being trusted to continue to provide their best work to clients and for the company. 

The benefit of working from home is that an employee can sleep in a bit later and work into the evening which works best for them. As long as they are staying productive, it is business as usual and let it happen! 

Schedules matter 

Now, more than ever, schedules are the lifeline to staying productive during COVID 19. It is recommended by the Center For Disease Control that everyone continues on their normal schedules as much as possible, and as much as we love the TikToks about this, this is important for those who are virtually working. 

While you are not physically clocking in and out of work anymore, you should still be sticking to normal routines and schedules. If your company allows flexible work hours, take advantage of it while you can. For parents, create a schedule for homeschooling and work to allow for children, teens and toddlers and yourselves to continue some type of schedule. Your teens will not be pleased, but it is for everyone’s best interest. 

As a manager, supervisor or member of a team, please let everyone know if your normal work hours will slightly vary due to virtual working. This will allow for everyone to coordinate and operate as normally as possible while knowing when to contact you. 

Unplug 

Americans are currently spending four hours and 30 minutes on their smartphones. There are only 24 hours in a day, and for six to eight of those hours we are sleeping, which means we are addicted to our phones. 

During all of this, virtual working can be a blessing and a blue-light disaster for our eyeballs. Remote workers find themselves on their computers for longer than they normally would when they are in the office. This is because there is no water cooler gossip, open office space or happy hours! 

For your own sanity, unplug and do not check emails or work after X time in the morning and do not log on before Y time. 

Staying productive during COVID 19 can be difficult for companies and employees alike; however, these three notions can help any leader or employee brainstorm ideas to help everyone continue to produce their best work yet!