Remote work is more common than ever, with businesses benefiting in numerous ways.
Still, many managers worry remote employees exploit the advantages of working from home. One recent survey found a whopping 85% of leaders lack confidence their employees stay productive when working from home.
The good news? Numerous studies indicate the opposite is true. For most employees, flexible work increases productivity.
However, it’s important to stay ahead of potential remote work problems like burnout and disengagement — issues that often lead people to work fewer hours with less focus. Not sure what to look for? Let’s examine common indicators of performance issues and how to address them.
Signs your remote employees aren't working full-time
Wondering if your employees put forth the effort you hired them for? Here are some common signs remote team members aren’t working full-time hours:
- Unresponsiveness: One of the most noticeable indicators is a decline in communication. If employees are less responsive to emails or messages, it suggests they’re not fully engaged. This lack of communication creates a ripple effect, leading to misunderstandings and a breakdown in team cohesion.
- Periods of silence: According to one recent remote survey, a third of employees take advantage of flexible work to run errands. One in five confessed to taking naps, and 17% worked from another location without telling anyone. If you notice long stretches of inactivity, it’s possible your team members are taking breaks without telling you.
- Less participation: Frequent absences from team meetings and activities is also a red flag. It’s often a sign someone’s overwhelmed, especially in a remote work environment where the boundaries between work and home life blur.
- More time in meetings or busywork: More isn’t always better, especially when it comes to work hours. Employees may be working full-time, but are they producing quality work? One report found remote workers waste an hour a day on productivity theater — they join virtual meetings they know will be worthless or respond to emails at strategically selected hours, all to convince managers they work long and hard enough.
- Overall drop in productivity: If tasks are consistently late or the quality of work diminishes, it may indicate employees don’t dedicate adequate time to responsibilities.
If you monitor work patterns, use the data to dive even deeper. For instance, if employees clock fewer hours than expected or seem to be working sporadically, you know to investigate further.
Keep in mind: The above signs don’t necessarily mean employees are unproductive. Using a lunch break to finish a load of laundry or prep dinner contributes to work-life balance and relieves stress. And studies show daytime napping improves cognitive performance. Plus, 81% of remote workers say they perform better when they have flexibility over their work hours.
Instead, consider these indicators a starting point for identifying potential issues to investigate. Understanding these signs allows you to take proactive steps to re-engage teams as needed.
Creating a productive remote work culture
Now that you know what signs to watch for when remote employees are not working full-time. But how do you go about creating a productive remote work culture? The answer depends on the type of work you support.
For example, if you embrace flextime or results-only policies, monitoring work hours is far less important than ensuring team members spend enough time on high-value activities. On the other hand, if you adopt the four-day workweek, ensuring employees make the most of their time is crucial.
Still, there are some commonalities. Here are several essential building blocks to a productive remote work culture, regardless of your remote work setup.
Communicate your company values
Effective communication is essential for any team, but is even more critical when remote team members work across multiple time zones. This begins with clear communication of company values and expectations. When employees understand the importance of their roles and how they contribute to your organization’s mission, they’re more likely to feel motivated and committed. Regularly revisiting these values through virtual town halls or newsletters reinforces their significance and keeps employees aligned with company goals. Most importantly, explain why you embrace remote work and how it helps move the business forward.
Embrace work-life balance
To create a thriving remote work culture, work-life balance is a must. For more than 22% of surveyed remote employees, unplugging from work is their biggest challenge. For this reason, it’s up to managers to discourage tendencies to overwork. By supporting employees in maintaining boundaries between work and personal life, you reduce burnout and enhance overall productivity. Providing resources for mental health support is another great way to demonstrate your commitment to employee well-being.
Create an inclusive environment
Building an environment where employees feel valued enhances their sense of belonging. But for this to work with distributed teams, you must be intentional. Schedule regular check-ins, team-building activities and open forums for discussion to strengthen relationships among team members. Virtual coffee breaks or themed online events are also a great way to provide informal spaces where employees bond through shared experiences. And don’t overlook the value of recognition. Calling attention to individual and team achievements through shout-outs in meetings or company-wide emails boosts morale and motivates employees to excel.
Invest in professional development
Offering online courses, workshops and mentorship programs doesn’t just equip employees with new skills. It also shows you’re invested in personal growth. This commitment to continuous learning leads to increased job satisfaction and retention. In fact, one survey revealed 63% of employees who quit jobs did so because they felt they had no opportunities for advancement. Investing in professional development is a great way to keep the door open to new opportunities. Something as simple as a virtual lunch-and-learn or collaborative creative project goes a long way in fostering a culture of learning — one where employees feel empowered to contribute their unique insights and expertise.
5 strategies to address employees not working full-time
Let’s say you monitor the signs, investigate further and follow the steps described above — and you still suspect employees aren’t working as they should. What now? Based on work with more than 9,500 remote and hybrid teams, here’s what the productivity experts at ActivTrak recommend.
1. Set clear expectations
Every manager knows how important it is to set expectations. But defining guidelines for remote teams is not the same as setting expectations for in-office employees. You have to set a new standard for how many hours employees need to be online, where people are permitted to work and what equipment they should use. This ensures team members understand exactly what you expect from them when they’re not in the office.
(Pro tip: Use ActivTrak’s remote work policy template to get started right now.)
2. Identify burnout and disengagement
Burnout and disengagement significantly impact an employee's ability to work full-time. And for remote employees, the risk of both are high. Nearly 70% of remote workers report increased burnout from digital communication tools. Stay vigilant in identifying signs of disengagement, such as decreased motivation or a lack of initiative. A great way to do this is by conducting regular wellness checks to gauge employee morale and identify those who may be struggling. In addition, encourage open conversations about mental health and workload to foster a supportive environment where employees feel comfortable discussing their challenges.
3. Provide coaching and support
Offering coaching and support is another excellent way to help employees navigate responsibilities more effectively. One study found an astounding seven in ten people who receive coaching report improved work performance and communication skills. Plus, regular feedback helps employees understand their strengths and areas for improvement, paving the way for continuous development.
4. Set work-life boundaries
Monitoring overwork and overwhelm is just as important as tracking start and end times or the number of hours worked. Why? Because remote workers are notoriously bad at setting boundaries. More than 80% check work email outside work hours. This includes 63% who do so on weekends and 34% who stay plugged in while on vacation. Best way to combat these tendencies? Lead by example. Resist the urge to send emails after hours or create a false sense of urgency for tasks that can wait until tomorrow. Your employees will thank you — 64% of employees feel pressured to respond to emails from the boss after hours, and 63% believe the practice should be outlawed.
5. Measure workforce analytics
Using software to measure workforce analytics provides valuable insights into remote employee productivity. These tools track work hours, productivity levels and time spent on high-value tasks — data that makes it easy to identify important trends and patterns. When you understand how employees spend their time, you can create more targeted strategies to enhance productivity and address any issues promptly.
Measure remote productivity with ActivTrak
How many hours your remote employees work is only one piece of a much larger productivity puzzle. Do they spend too much time on meetings and busywork? Or are they engaged in deep work and high-value activities that move the business forward? Are they more productive when working from home or in a shared office?
Believe it or not, there’s an easy way to answer all these questions — plus many more like them. More than 9,500 organizations rely on ActivTrak’s workforce management software to:
- Compare remote and onsite productivity
- Understand how remote work policies impact employees
- Uncover offsite compliance issues
- And more
Sign up for a free account to join them today and support your remote workforce with data-driven insights.
