Work from home forever?

By Paul Arkwright
on 16 September 2020
in APAC News, health & wellbeing, HR News, Public, Slider, Work from home

Home
Work from home forever?

Work from home forever: HR pipedream or HR virtual reality?

To be fluid as water, as Bruce Lee once wisely said, now seems the key to facilitating an organisational and an economic bounce back. HR is pulling together its teams to, in what has been the most rapid case of change management most have ever faced—and plenty of positive talent news has come from this transition. Yet, it has not been a comfortable journey for many. This issue’s cover story examines some of the key challenges the uber-fast shift to a work from home (WFH) model has thrown up for HR, and analyse some of the best success strategies that have helped make it work—possibly forever.

Hong Kong is still in the throes of fighting its third wave of COVID-19, which has sent the unemployment rate to its lowest level in over 15 years. Sectors such as the tourism and food industry have, in particular, been put under enormous pressure trying to adjust headcount and resize, manage teams remotely and all the while trying to do what they can to maintain employee wellness and eke out what local business they can in the absence of almost all international travel. On 19 August 2020, the Census & Statistics Department of the Government of the HKSAR, reported that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate (April – June 2020) in Hong Kong had reached 6.2%, with just under a quarter of a million people jobless. Dr Law-Chi Kwong, Secretary for Labour and Welfare, furthered that such deterioration and uncertainty in the economy would likely prolong throughout the year. On the bright side, as Hong Kong’s cases begin to diminish with improved testing and stricter protocols, HR teams have been working innovatively to further develop and refine work methods for employees to adapt to the ever-changing state they face.

Undeterred, businesses are seeking to ensure a safe, healthy and, in many cases, work-from-home environment for talent. From the early stages of coronavirus, companies have issued numerous notices and travel warnings to keep their employees informed with neutral, factual updates and help raise their levels of cautiousness. Many companies in Hong Kong have also periodically distributed essential supplies amongst workers for combatting the pandemic, including masks and hand sanitisers. Some companies even took the initiative to sponsor periodic private COVID-19 testing for employees. As the situation worsened, businesses have embraced flexible working and WFH options for at least some, and in many cases most of, their talent teams. Tech giants Facebook and Google have informed workers that they can WFH for the rest of the year. Meanwhile, leading multinational firms such as PwC have adopted a hybrid working method. Employees who can perform remote work without compromise are sent home, while employees with a work nature that requires rigorous compliance standards are divided into teams or are directed to different office locations.

Employee challenges—at all levels

Despite the best efforts of many organisations, it seems WFH is still taking its toll on employees and in particular junior managers and senior staff. The Workforce View 2020: Volume One pre-COVID-19, a survey of over 32,000 employees and gig workers, conducted by ADP between October 2019 and January 2020, on various topics including pay, career and well-being revealed that 60% of APAC respondents feel stressed at least once a week, and this was the lowest of respondents in any region. The challenge for HR leaders is employees’ reticence to talk about stress and mental health, as only 22% of respondents said they would feel comfortable telling their manager or supervisor about a mental health problem or concern. These findings were echoed by the 2020 City Mental Health Alliance Hong Kong (CMHA HK) Mental Health and Wellbeing in the Workplace Survey which revealed that 27% of employees in Hong Kong have experienced mental health problems in the past 12 months and that COVID-19 has been the most significant contributing factor to their sub-optimal state of mental health. The top three related employee concerns in Hong Kong are:

fear of contracting the disease (42%);
lack of social activity (35%); and
job security (25%).

As a result, many employees have experienced some common symptoms associated with poor mental health, including physical tiredness (45%), feeling mentally drained (42%) and sleeping issues (36%).

Stigma, presenteeism & middle manager ‘crunch’

In terms of what HR can do to help alleviate the situation, the CMHA survey highlighted stigma, presenteeism and a middle-management ‘crunch’ as areas that need to be urgently addressed by HR.

Stigma is a significant inhibitor to people talking about mental health issues in the workplace—with 32% of respondents in Hong Kong having either personally experienced stigma due to mental health issues or knew of someone who had within the past 12 months. However, the good news is that this figure is down from 55% in 2018, showing that COVID-19 seems to have reduced significantly reduced this stigma.
Presenteeism, going to work despite poor mental health, was reported by 83% of Hong Kong employees in the last 12 months—stating they had experienced mental health problems whilst being employed. Of these, 74% said they had at least 1 – 2 days of presenteeism every month. The most cited reasons for employees ignoring mental health symptoms were a ‘sense of duty and work ethic’, ‘too much work’ and ‘fear of a negative review’.
Middle-managers have taken the hardest hit in terms of experiencing mental health problems. Of those who experienced mental health problems in the last 12 months, 36% were junior- or middle-management. Moreover, this group also has the highest incidence of presenteeism across all ranks and consistently rates the support available in their company as the least helpful.

Mental health mindset change

On a positive note, employees are starting to speak up about stress, and the CMHA survey found that the number of people who did not tell anyone about personal mental health issues has fallen to 41%, down 19% from 60% in 2018, showing an increase in openness to discussion.

Dr Zoë Fortune, CEO, CMHA HK said, “The good news is that growing efforts by employers to improve workplace well-being are now being recognised by employees, with attitudes towards both mental health and mental ill-health showing positive signs of change as awareness increases and more employees feel able to reach out for support.” She, however, cautioned, “The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown us many unique challenges, and as a result, flexibility and listening to staff is more valued than ever. We advise HR to urgently recognise this and work to address workplace issues such as stigma, presenteeism and ensure access to appropriate help and support for employees.”

Peter Reynolds, Partner and Head of Greater China, Oliver Wyman, who worked with CMHA on the Survey, noted, “Flexible work arrangements, company-wide response updates, and the suspension of business-related travel have been the most well-received company support measures during COVID-19. However, it is crucial to bear in mind that employers’ measures of support should not be one-size-fits-all, given material differences in personal circumstances and ways policies are executed in different companies.”

Challenges of WFH

There has always been some degree of cynicism and uncertainty regarding WFH across the industries before the coronavirus, and not without justification. Phrases like “shirking from home” suggest that it is strenuous for workers to remain focused, which can lead to diminished productivity and profitability for businesses in the long run. This is particularly true in places like Hong Kong, where the comparatively small size of homes means finding even the physical space to work, let alone one that is free from interruptions, is often challenging. The average living space per capita in Hong Kong is only around 160 square feet, and in public housing, where over 50% of the population live, this is just under 140 square feet. When dependants are added into the mix, kids on Zoom lessons, other family members also working from home, coupled with the other stresses that COVID-19 has brought—it is little wonder that WFH, while great for those with space, can prove extremely challenging for many in Hong Kong.

Supporting employees in WFH & WLB

There are numerous ways in which HR can provide more support for their employees in both WFH and work-life balance (WLB), including:

Providing flexibility around work schedules, locations and modes—realising that WFH works for some but not for others and allowing them to work hours that best suit their individual circumstances.
Recognising levels of support required for people at different levels across the organisations.
Valuing the importance of allowing employees to be herd, empowered and trusted—allowing and trusting them to get on an accomplish tasks in their own way and their own time.
Providing appropriate and adequate communication about what is happening and not happening in terms of COVID and company policies. Melody Wilding, Workplace Success Coach for C-suite executives, explained, “Maintaining some semblance of balance is one of the biggest challenges telecommuting presents since the boundaries between...personal and professional life blur.” HR can advise their teams to follow some basic steps to help maintain a healthy work-life balance while they WFH:
- Adjust expectations: acknowledge that there will always be time wasted at the office and adjusting WFH hours accordingly.
- Wrap up and power down: set an alarm for getting off work and completely turn off your work computer.
- Create accountability for oneself: set top priorities and goals for the next day, commit to these and follow through.
- Explore and engage in a ‘getaway’ activity: find a hobby or interest that helps ease the mind, like cooking, reading or sports.
Decreasing business travel.
Understanding and embracing individual differences.
Establishing and promoting employee resource groups, business unit groups.
Conducting regular pulse surveys to check in with staff sentiments. Christian Grossman, CEO, Beekeeper noted that 65% of employers find ‘policing’ employee morale an obstacle during times of uncertainty. However, Grossman highlights a successful formula to help balance employee well-being and employee morale as follows:
- Triple-check that employees have what they need to complete their duties efficiently—to ameliorate access to resources, especially when there is currently a shift to working digitally and remotely.
- Utilise an interconnected platform to connect employees digitally—to allow the free exchange of ideas and foster a professional atmosphere that is friendly and accessible.
- Integrate productivity management with modern-day technology through user-friendly mobile apps—to enhance engagement, productivity, work satisfaction and facilitate regular messages of encouragement to employees.
Providing EAPs and wellness insurance, together with in-house help and support. Fortune noted, “89% of those surveyed said they had never used EAP because they didn’t know what it was, didn’t think it would be helpful, or didn’t feel the need. So, it’s equally important to communicate these items to staff, who might think and EAP gets them straight through to a counsellor, rather than going through a triage system first.”
Managing expectations of EAPs, of the 11% of those surveyed who used an EAP, 42% said they did not think it was beneficial, so it is important to ‘brand’ EAPs appropriately and let staff know what they are and what they are not. Fortune advised, “HR shod try to use EAPs more frequently, so they are not solely associated with mental health issues. In this way, they can be seen as a source of helpful advice, rather than a last resort. In the UK, organisations have seen usage rise significantly after this rebranding of EAPs as less-stigmatised ‘helplines.”
Destigmatising the whole idea of mental health—this involves a cultural change within the organisation and does not need to cost a lot of money. HR can have a positive impact in numerous ways, including, mental health days, green ribbon campaigns[1], This is Me Storytelling[2]. It is also essential to ensure employees feel part of that cultural change and embedding the ideals in company-wide best practices that unit heads can implement and follow.
Being aware of what to look out for—it is not the responsibility of HR to directly deal with every mental health issue, but rather it is about noticing potential ‘danger signs’ and providing the resources so employees can find the right kind of help.
Utilising free mental wellness resources available online such as the Samaritans well-being workplace app[3], mindhk’s COBVID-19 Mental Health Relief Scheme[4], mindhk’s community director of services providers who can help[5], Community Business resources[6] and the CMHA’s resource bank[7].
Opening and facilitating conversations on mental health, so everyone feels able to talk about issues openly and safely.

Adaptable mindset key

At a time where immense stress may emerge for employees, it could be a challenging change for all. Having an adaptable mindset is vital. Canva, an Australian graphic design company, is ahead of the pack when it comes to coping with unstable conditions using innovative, yet efficient initiatives. In the face of the pandemic, it leads with compassion and recognises that the WFH lifestyle might not be as comfortable as some may reckon. As schools only begin to reopen and daycare centres now being scarcely available due to insufficient funding, they are cognizant that working parents having much more hectic and demanding schedules as they juggle working full-time as both a parent and employee. Crystal Boysen, Head of People, Canva noted, “The enforced WFH policy and being a parent, has almost broken many staff—professionally and personally. As such, Canva’s solution focuses on the correlation between well-being and happiness and places work-life balance as a priority. The motto we embrace is, ‘whatever works for you, works for us’.” The organisation’s objective is simple: striving to create a stable and healthy working environment. As the company takes on an unconventional way of leading at this time of uncertainty, it has established clear assistance for its talent:

Embracing the value of compassion: offering flexibility to workers by permitting unlimited sick leave and carer’s leave. To ensure that tasks can be fulfilled as planned, those taking leave must inform team members and the company with complete transparency and honesty for a smooth takeover of ongoing tasks.
Being in the “right” state of mind: the company has developed an internal website to support the mental well-being of employees in need. This has proved to be particularly valuable, as coping mechanisms are needed to assist workers suffering from a physically detached workforce.
Providing a free Employee Assistance Program (EAP) accessible to all staff: resources include meditation apps and webinars about mindfulness such as, “Managing stress and building resilience in times of uncertainty” and live Q&A sessions on work-life balance.

More WFH planned in APAC

Despite some of the ‘feared’ drawbacks to remote work and alternative work methods, it is clear there is wide-reaching support for WFH. A remote-work study published in the Journal of Economics researched employees of Ctrip and revealed that remote work led to a 13% performance increase, of which 9% was from working more minutes per shift, due to fewer breaks and sick leave. The Survey also found that home-workers reported improved work satisfaction, and their attrition rate halved. The lower attrition rates might also be partly attributable to economic uncertainly making many employees sit tight right now. Nevertheless, the Study’s findings ultimately prompted Ctrip to roll out the WFH option to all employees in the long run.

Echoing Grossman’s vision of a WFH space regarding the balance between employee morale and well-being, alternative work methods that aim to minimise all forms of physical contact between workers demanded an increase in the usage of collaboration tools. Since the first three months of the year, Symphony, a company that provides instant messaging service for financial firms, has seen record surges of active users on their platform in APAC, Europe and the United States. The increase in numbers is unprecedented in the company’s history. David Gurle, Chief Executive Officer, Symphony Communication Services, explained, “Much of this growth can be attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic and how businesses are migrating to alternative work methods.” Gurle asserts that the growth lies not only within the numbers of users but also, more significantly, the volume of messages exchanged on the platform, noting that these collaboration tools are becoming an integral part of business models. On a side note, Hong Kong is blessed with having one of the fastest internet speeds in the world, at ~164 Megabits per second, according to averaged data from speedtest.net, providing the necessary backend support for these collaboration tools to function with their maximum performance and potential.

Temporary shift, or here to stay?

HR is now considering the implications this temporary shift in work style will have for the business in future. COVID-19 unveiled to the world that remote work could be considered a legitimate option in the long run, as there is a greater motivation for companies to transform into a flexible business model that fosters a productive yet sustainable working environment. In March 2020, 60 million tweets were collected based on hashtags relating to coronavirus. A sentiment analysis, recently conducted by data analysis researchers from Cardiff Metropolitan University, indicated that towards WFH, with a notable rise of positive sentiment after countries went into lockdown. WFH brings immediate and apparent benefits including eliminating commutes, which lowers downtime during travel and reduces pollution levels, the model can also significantly reduce operational costs—especially in places like Hong Kong where rental overheads are among the highest in the world. A flexible business model that embraces remote work also removes the constraint of geographic barriers, where companies can now hire employees across the globe. Twitter affirms that WFH can function at scale. Though they do not specify the type of employees to be qualified for this arrangement, they are now giving workers the option to WFH forever. In a statement to CNN Business, Jennifer Christie, Vice President of People, Twitter, claimed, “If our employees are in a role and situation that enables them to work from home and they want to continue to do so forever, we will make that happen.”

Although the battle against COVID-19 is far from over, it has offered management teams a unique opportunity to rapidly adopt technology and completely reinvent their workplace. New standards are now set, breaking traditional conventions of what old-school expectations have been for both employees and employers. WFH, or even a hybrid working model, previously adopted on for a relatively small percentage of talent teams and approached with a great deal of trepidation, has become the new now in many organisations. HR teams globally are investing much of their time into various methods to not only elevate productivity but, more importantly, to ensure that workers’ well-being and personal needs are met on the same level—even, and especially, when working remotely. Though some worries are present regarding its overwhelming degree of flexibility, organisations are adopting new work standards as they recognise and anticipate an ongoing fluctuation of the economy. With minor adjustments and time, WFH looks set to prevail, especially as technology flourishes along with fine-tuned management strategies. This new work trend could be the secret ingredient to being fluid—a vital component to success.