So, you are working from home, and you are fully aware of how beneficial this new arrangement is for your employer. The more you telework, the more you notice; while this is better than working in the office, it does have its challenges. It is time and telecommuters are ready for wage increases.
Granted, working from home is better than working in the office, but things could be better, and as time lingers, and this temporary vacation from the daily commute is looking more like a long-term scenario, employees who remote work are starting to look for ways to make the telecommuting more advantageous.
The first place remote workers look, when they are looking for greener pastures is increased wages. They already know their employers are seeing a twenty to thirty percent increase in employee throughput, and employers are paying far less to support the telecommuting workforce. Therefore, desiring a piece of the action is not unfounded.
And if the employee is not hearing (or feeling) an underlying wage increase may be in the wings, they are already looking for higher-paying opportunities, while they are being paid by their present employers. They can just as easily stay at home and work for someone else and make more money.
It is up to the employer to act now and discover ways to incentivize their remote workers before they jump ship. In a sense to share in the benefits of obtaining greater HR results and lowered employee support costs.
Wage Increase
A wage increase is one way to appease the increasingly anxious locked-down telecommuters, and no doubt, it is an effective first step in building affinity with off-site teleworkers working from home. But it is not the end-all-be-all solution, though it is a good start.
There are other things that can be even more meaningful than the wage increase for the remote worker.
Home Office Upgrades
Most home office workspaces are less than desirable. Some have excellent resources and separate office space in the home, while others are working on the sofa using the coffee table for their desk. It doesn’t take much imagination to see that those telecommuters who are having to manage their work in substandard conditions, helping them to make up the difference can go a long way into making them feel better about working from home.
Employers could either provide a selection of office equipment or necessities for remote workers outright or use credit earned for performance increases. The more productive the employee, the greater amount of credit which can be spent toward their selection of office gear.
Which brings us to the next perk employers need to think about,
Reward System
Employers are building affinity with their employees when they recognize them for a job well done. Especially when their job performance numbers are already up since they have been working from home. Employers who track their performance and have a reward program that incentivizes them to do even better is a great way to disperse some of the savings which are realized by the employer who has made the shift to telecommuting.
Wellness Program
Whether an employer offers insurance benefits or not matters less than encouraging telecommuters to actively engage in wellness while they are working from their homes. Incentivize them to take walk, treadmill, or workout breaks. Employers can supply treadmills or other equipment and make it fun. Maybe have remote workout meetings while employees teleconference while walking, jogging, or working out. This can take your online brainstorming sessions to a whole new level.
Employee Partnership
This is the time to start to make teleworking employees feel as though they are in partnership with their employers. This may take a leap in culture for your working environment, but this will be efforts well spent, and employers who do so will see the benefits in increased job performance and lower turnover and HR costs.
Unbeknownst to the telecommuters (or clearly known), these are the types of benefits that they are seeking when they are looking for a better opportunity as the shift from office to homework is starting to look like the new normal.
Now is the time to consider demonstrating that the current employer is offering the connection, communication, recognition, and gratitude that the telecommuters are looking for.