How to manage the 5 types of problematic work-from-home employees

Despite the growing popularity of remote work arrangements, it’s not necessarily an arrangement that works for everyone — at least not initially.

Even though nearly half of Singaporeans work remotely and research shows time not spent commuting becomes productive work time, many people struggle in their efforts to work from anywhere.

For one thing, home offices can be a source of distraction, especially if you have family around during work hours. Further, many employees are uncomfortable with the disconnect that virtual offices create (which can mean less face time with managers).

As a result, many employees experience hurdles when moving to remote work environments. That’s why teamfocus has put together the infographic below: To help managers identify break points in remote workflows, and to offer concrete advice for getting those team members back on track.

#1 The ghost employee [You can never reach them when you want to]

• The issue: Always "away" in chat boxes
• What to do: Set up daily check-ins to review tasks and ask questions

#2 The always-on employee [They work on call 24/7]

• The issue: Continues engaging co-workers late into the night
• What to do: Establish "office hours" for the whole team to stick to

#3 The easily distracted employee [Their home is more distracting than the office]

• The issue: Productivity has dropped off since they left the office
• What to do: Suggest co-working spaces and libraries to create an office environment

#4 The disengaged employee [They don't seem to care about their jobs]

• The issue: Apathetic (or even hostile) towards new projects and clients
• What to do: Set quarterly goals for him or her to learn and grow

#5 The virtual water cooler employee [They distract other employees online]

• The issue: Constantly sends memes, cat videos in the group chat
• What to do: Set up a group chat for personal comments that others can mute

Photos / teamfocus