Human Resources Department (HRD)
During COVID-19 Emergency
Services & Resources
FORMS AND AGREEMENTS
Emergency Response Manual Section 7 Temporary Teleworking/Work from Home Authorization and Agreement Form
Emergency Authority Only Emergency Response Manual Section 6 Alternative/Reduced Work Schedule Request Form
Emergency Authority Only- Monterey County Emergency Response Manual and COVID-19 Prevention Program Section 6 Reduced Work Schedule (Full Time Equivalent) Request Form
Telework Online Training (Only for County Employees)
TELEWORK TOOLKIT
COVID-19 has changed the way we work and live. The “Shelter-in-Place” Order has employees temporarily telecommuting/working from home. The County’s Employee Engagement Manager has prepared a Telework Toolkit to support employees during these very challenging times. Several of the resources available are specific to working from home during COVID-19 which include YouTube videos, podcasts, articles produced by reputable sources, such as: Gallup Organization, Inc., Forbes, NPR and more.
Learn strategies to:
- Set yourself up for success while working from home
- Obtain a clear understanding of your supervisor’s/manager’s expectations and measurements for performance
- Connect with your colleagues to avoid feelings of loneliness and isolation
- Avoid the potential pitfalls as a telecommuter
For Supervisors/Managers:
- How to lead your team remotely
- Build and lead a high-performing remote team
- Keep remote employees engaged
If you are interested in reading information on the Human Resources Emergency Response Manual, section 7: Temporary Telecommuting/Work from Home, please click HERE.
To view additional information for each resource, please click on the "+" icon.
ARTICLES
COVID-19 Has My Teams Working Remotely: A Guide for Leaders
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- According to Gallup’s research, 43% of U.S. employees work remotely some or all of the time and many studies show remote workers are more productive and profitable than employees who work on site.
- “Telework can succeed spectacularly. Although your company will have to learn quickly, your people may perform at levels that surprise you”.
“While COVID-19 won't be an issue forever, remote work will be. What you learn about leading a remote workforce now will likely become best practice for your company later on.”
Owning Your Personal Engagement as Remote Worker
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
If you are working from home, consider the following to stay engaged:
- Clarify expectations
- Initiate feedback and communication
- Investing in relationships
- Finding a balance
“Providing progress or completion updates is a reminder to others that I am working despite not being visible in the office. Equally as important is sharing personal successes and accomplishments that may go unnoticed”
How to Keep Remote Worker Wellbeing High
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Working remotely and staying active can happen -- performance depends on it
- Effective remote workers alter their approach to getting work done
- The key to effectively managing employees is individualized coaching
How to Manage the Loneliness and Isolation of Remote Workers
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Loneliness is emotional and isolation is structural
- Managers need to know the difference to help remote workers thrive
- A strategy of engagement can help managers keep remote workers connected
How To Manage Remote Employees
- Remote workers are too valuable for managers to overlook their unique needs.
- Individualization, clear expectations, trust and talent help them thrive.
Building and Leading High-Performing Remote Teams
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Managers of remote employees can benefit from the following:
- Clearly communicate to team members who will be held accountable for what.
- Agree on a timetable for every project and assignment.
- Monitor progress by scheduling regular check-ins.
- Avoid blame if a deadline is missed or another issue arises.
Remote Worker Isolation: Perception or Reality
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- 43% of U.S. employees work remotely at least some of the time.
- Today's remote workers need nontraditional managers.
- There are three ways to combat isolation and increase engagement
Can You Manage Employees You Rarely See?
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Growing work-at-home trend poses challenges for managers.
- Managers need to be more deliberate about managing remote workers.
- Creating virtual communities helps in managing remote employees.
How Leaders Can Keep Remote Employees Engaged and Productive During Tumultuous Times
Your employees are counting on you to stay strong. Feeding into their anxiety will only make matters worse.
Allow employees to express what's on their mind and acknowledge their feelings. Then try to shift the conversation to something they can control, like the quality of their work.
Is Working Remotely Effective? Gallup Says Yes
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Remote work improves outcomes and employee branding and is a policy that most talented employees desire.
- According to Gallup’s research, those who work remotely 60% to 80% of the time are most likely of all employees to strongly agree that their engagement needs related to development and relationships are being met.
- This group is also most likely of all employees to strongly agree that someone at work cares about them as a person, encourages their development and has talked to them about their progress.
- This group is also the most likely of all employees to strongly agree they have a best friend at work and opportunities to learn and grow.
Forbes - “5 Proven Benefits of Remote Work for Companies”
Benefits of Remote Work:
- Productivity — Teleworkers are an average of 35-40% more productive than their office counterparts, and have measured an output increase of at least 4.4%.
- Performance — With stronger autonomy via location independence, workers produce results with 40% fewer quality defects.
- Engagement — Higher productivity and performance combine to create stronger engagement, or in other words, 41% lower absenteeism.
- Retention — 54% of employees say they would change jobs for one that offered them more flexibility, which results in an average of 12% turnover reduction after a remote work agreement is offered.
- Profitability — Organizations save an average of $11,000 per year per part-time telecommuter, or 21% higher profitability.
Governing: The Future of States and Localities - “The Pros and Cons of Telecommuting to a Government Gig”
The Maryland Department of Budget and Management published a brief that includes the advantages of telework:
- “Most teleworkers report that they get more done and are more satisfied with their jobs as a result of teleworking.”
- “The shortened commute decreases employee travel expenses and commuting stress ... while increasing the amount of time teleworkers have for professional and personal pursuits.”
- “Teleworkers also enjoy a greater degree of work-related autonomy and responsibility.”
- "Properly handled, teleworking can make it easier to manage dependent-care arrangements and create job opportunities for employees with disabilities.
FlexJobs.com - “The Benefits of Working From Home: Why The Pandemic Isn’t the Only Reason to Work Remotely”
Increased Productivity and Performance:
- FlexJobs conducted it’s annual survey in 2019 with 7300 respondents and found that 65% of professionals think they would be more productive working remotely than in a traditional office, with 49% saying they go to their home or home office when they really need to buckle down and get work done.
- “Working from home usually leads to fewer interruptions, less office politics, a quieter noise level, and less or more efficient meetings. Add in the lack of a commute, remote workers typically have more time and fewer distractions, which leads to increased productivity—a huge benefit of working from home for both employees and employers alike.”
7 Tips for Successfully Managing Remote Teams
Managers of remote employees can benefit from the following:
- Manage Expectations
- Help your team figure out what they should do and create realistic expectations for their work
- Set yourself and your team up for success by clearly stating both the tasks and the reasons behind them, and help your team understand exactly how you will measure success.
23 Essential Tips for Working Remotely- Follow These Tips to Keep Your Whole Team's Productivity and Morale High
To help maintain human connection while working from home:
- Make time every day to text with colleagues, check in personally, share stories, ask how people are doing.
- If your company is using an instant messaging system, consider adding a "water cooler" channel to help encourage this element of communication across the team.
7 Ways to Make Working From Home Easier During the Coronavirus Pandemic March 2020
“The adjustment (of telecommuting) can be jarring at first, though. And the isolation—combined with close quarters to spouses or children—can be disruptive. Need help navigating the work/life balance issues and figuring out how best to get your job done? Here are some ways to make it easier.”
New to Telecommuting? Here Are 8 Rules You Should Know
Advice from top digital security experts on precautions to take when working from home.
Remote Work Tips for Overcoming Common Productivity Barriers
A new study from VitalSmarts revealed the top five challenges employees are facing working from home during the pandemic—as well as productivity behaviors that can help you successfully overcome those challenges.
Remote Work Blog
"How to Clean and Disinfect All Your Gadgets" - by Tim Brookes
"A Guide to Managing Your (Newly) Remote Workers" - Harvard Business Review
With the Covid-19 epidemic, many employees — and their managers — are finding themselves working out of the office and separated from each other for the first time. Fortunately, there are specific, research-based steps that managers can take without great effort to improve the engagement and productivity of remote employees, even when there is little time to prepare. First, it’s important to understand the common challenges, from isolation to distractions to lack of face-to-face supervision. Then managers can support remote workers with 1) regular, structured check-ins; 2) multiple communication options (and established norms for each; 3) opportunities for social interactions; and 4) ongoing encouragement and emotional support.
Gallup - Remote Work Articles
The 2021 Complete Guide to Remote Work [W/ Tips & Tricks]
PODCASTS
"NPR Life Kit Podcast entitled: 8 Tips To Make Working From Home, Work For You"
Duration 15 minutes
- Be honest with your manager and team about what is/isn’t working and what can/cannot get done
- Communicate
- Get into a professional mindset
- Get dressed as if you are going to the office
- Stay productive and sane if you don’t like working from home (loneliness)-more video chats to see colleagues, set a timer and take lunch (turn off your work), walk, change your venue and take a breather
- Schedule your days and have structure/set aside time for lunch and breaks
- Is your internet access robust enough at home?
- Use webcam to see the person you are talking to
- Overcommunicate and reiterate priorities
- How do you stay connected with co-workers?
NPR Working from Home Podcast: Coronavirus Triple Duty: Working, Parenting, And Teaching From Home
March 2020
Duration: 4 minutes
- Coronavirus life just got super real for parents. Many suddenly have the task of making sure their kids learn while adjusting to a new life of managing working exclusively from home.
- Keeping to a schedule is paramount
- Opportunity for independent study for children
- Parents can model self-discipline and focus for their children
NPR 10 minute Podcast: “Working from Home”
March 2020
Duration: 9 minutes
- Does an open office lead to greater communication amongst co-workers? A recent study showed that it does not. People do not talk more when they are in an open office; they end up talking less. They try to isolate by wearing headphones, for example, so they are not distracted by co-workers.
- When working from home, If possible, have two computers: one for work and one for personal use.
- Schedule Zoom calls to discuss non-work related topics for the purpose of social connection. Talk about everything “not work
- Get dressed for work every day to get into work mode.
Jeff Sander’s “5 AM Miracle” Podcast Series
Jeff’s 5 AM Miracle podcast helps you make sure you are as productive as can be before you sit down at the table for breakfast. Having a successful day is great, but why not start your morning out as rewarding as you can?
When you work from home, time management and productivity are key. Whether you’re working set hours with a WAH customer service job or freelancing, you want to make sure you’re working as efficiently as possible throughout the day.
Over 6 million downloads since it’s launch in 2013, 5 AM Miracle is ranked no.1 on iTunes in the Self-Help and Business categories.
Mari Anne Snow on Remote Work During COVID-19
Society for Human Resource Management All Things Work podcast series
March 2020
Duration: 25 minutes
- Does an open office lead to greater communication amongst co-workers? A recent study showed that it does not. People do not talk more when they are in an open office; they end up talking less. They try to isolate by wearing headphones, for example, so they are not distracted by co-workers.
- An initial first step is establishing a remote work agreement between the employee and his/her immediate supervisor/manager.
- The importance of multi-channel communication to stay connected with remote workers.
- Trust, communicating expectations and accountability.
VIDEOS
Managing and Supervising Telework Employees During COVID-19
Hosted by Catherine Crusade
Duration: 47 minutes
Webinar interview recording with Eric Chatham, the Director of the Information Technology Department.
“Working at Home”
HuffPost YouTube Video
Duration: 3 minutes
Productivity expert Holland Haiis gives tips on how to work from home without letting your productivity — or well-being — suffer.
“Celebrate the Small Wins”
Duration: 12 minutes
Why is it important to celebrate the small, initial steps toward achieving our goals, and How do you do it so that it creates unstoppable confidence and momentum?
Speaker and author Brendon Bouchard shares suggestions and the benefits of celebrating the wins.
“The First 20 Hours - How to Learn Anything”
Duration: 20 minutes
Josh Kaufman is the author of the #1 international bestseller, 'The Personal MBA: Master the Art of Business', as well as the upcoming book 'The First 20 Hours: Mastering the Toughest Part of Learning Anything.' Josh specializes in teaching people from all walks of life how to master practical knowledge and skills. In his talk, he shares how having his first child inspired him to approach learning in a whole new way
PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS
5-15 Report from MindTools
5-15 reports: named for the ability to be "read in five minutes, written in fifteen minutes," the 5-15 report is another tool that managers can implement with employees working from home.
- This report is intended for employees to provide a weekly summary of accomplishments, priorities, challenges, or roadblocks and lessons learned from their supervisor.
- 5-15 reports can simplify the management process and be especially useful for managers who have to keep track of multiple employees across different locations.
- The importance of multi-channel communication to stay connected with remote workers.
- This method has the added benefit of encouraging employees to become introspective and focused on their work
Microsoft Teams - 5 Reasons Why You Should Start Using Microsoft Teams Today
Collaboration and teamwork are the defining characteristic of modern organizations. Learn the 5 reasons why you should consider using Teams today
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
The County of Monterey’s Employee Assistance Provider (EAP), FEI workforce resilience, offers 24/7 confidential assistance.
Call: 800-638-3327 Access the FEI website at: www.feieap.com Username: Monterey
FEI offers:
- Counseling services from a credentialed professional
- Phone coaching for leaders with a credentialed professional for issues related to management and supervision
- Financial services
- Legal services
- Online resources for all employees such as a video library, articles, and live and archived webinars on a variety of topics such as Stress Management
- Online resources for managers
All services are included in your EAP program and are confidential. Click HERE to view an overview of EAP's services.