No more spending money on gas for early morning commutes. No more free, awful coffee that nobody likes. No more sharing restrooms with the whole office. Remote work may seem blissful, but it definitely comes with its challenges to.  

Managing a team can be very challenging, and even more so now with COVID-19. Managers struggle to motivate their team and meet deadlines, and employees have been forced to make a major transition by working from home. Adapting to this new work environment without any proper training has been overwhelming for everyone. We work longer hours, our work-life balance is unrecognizable, and our kids are constantly disrupting our workflow.      

Trust Issues 

Building trust amongst employers and employees virtually is tough. When managers are unable to directly see work progress or don’t have the opportunity to socially get to know their employees, it makes it difficult to bond and form that trusting relationship. No amount of Zoom video calls, Microsoft Teams direct messaging or endless emailing can compare to water cooler talk.  

Trust is crucial for a healthy work culture, especially now that everyone is working remotely. Here are some tips on how to develop trust with colleagues while from a distance: 

  • Share more about yourself – allow people to get to know you 
  • Assume good intentions – be positive about others 
  • Stay in close proximity – make an effort to see people through video call 
  • Be predictable – let others know they can count on you 
  • Be easy to read – share what you’re thinking/feeling  
  • Support others – step up for others 
  • Be selective – nurture the most trusting relationships 
  • Hold people accountable – make different choices about the relationship 
  • Demonstrate integrity – be honest with yourself and with others 

The Impact of COVID-19 on Businesses 

Any kind of business that has employees using the internet faces the same concern – how do we prevent internet abuse? The internet is a fundamental resource that is used towards the success of a company, but it can also add to cyberloafing and online dangers as well. According to Udemy’s Workplace Distraction Report, six out of ten people can’t get through the day without checking their social media. If you think that’s bad, 60% of respondents in a Sugarcookie survey admit to watching porn at least once at work and nearly 20% have been caught watching it.   

Although we have passed a full year of remote working, it hasn’t gotten any easier. Working at home has put businesses at even greater risks for not only online distractions, but malware and mental health too. Employees are visiting non-business-related websites, accidental security breaches have become more common, and increased vulnerability to viruses and malicious content.     

Here’s how Netsweeper can Help 

Netsweeper’s nFilter allows businesses to control internet access, review online activity and protect your network from harmful content, while onGuard allows for monitoring and reporting potentially harmful online activity in real-time and identify a-risk either in the office or remotely. They both provide solutions that solve employee productivity loss, web threat, legal liability issues, and create a safe working environment. 

To find out more about how Netsweeper can help your business and keep employees safe while remote working, book a demo with one of our experts or download our whitepaper on how to protect employees and improve productivity.  

Comment below and let us know what your biggest challenges of working remotely are👇👇👇 

Submitted by: Natasha Pande