Whilst some employees will dance with happiness at the prospect of working from home, others might feel isolated and cut off from civilisation. 
 
Working from home has benefits and drawbacks and can affect employee mental health. When you can’t be by their side, checking in and leaving your office door open, how can you monitor mental health and check that your employees aren’t struggling? 

 
Regular video calls 
 
It’s harder for someone to hide poor mental health when you’re speaking to them face to face. When that’s not possible, video calls can help you to check on your staff. 
 
Watch for signs of poor mental health, from worried expressions to a lack of self-care. Whilst working from home is a chance to dress down, a complete lack of effort may be a sign that not all is as well as you’d hope. 
 
In a two-way conversation, employees find it easier to verbally express how they’re feeling. For many, that’s better than starting an email when they can change their mind halfway through. 

 
Surveys 
 
A wellbeing survey is an ideal way to keep check on employees that are working from home. Pulse surveys can gather their feedback on how they think the business is going. Encourage your employees to be completely honest, so that you can see if things are going wrong. 
 
Remote working can leave some employees feeling out of the loop. Perhaps they’re harbouring bitterness, or upset because they feel like they’re ignored? Maybe they have a great idea for the company, but feel like nobody’s listening? 
 
Once you’ve collected feedback from your employees, you can see what needs to be changed. This is a fantastic way to check on each worker’s mental health. 

 
Rewards 
 
Employees in the workplace might receive rewards or on-the-spot praise throughout the day. Working from home might make them feel invisible and might limit the praise they receive. 
 
Keep rewarding employees, even if they’re working from home. Virtual gift vouchers, or bonus payments, can make someone feel so much more positive. 
 
Always remember that happiness increases productivity. People put in more effort and work harder when they feel that they’re valued and cared for. With Lumien, you can create Pulse surveys to get genuine feedback from your staff. 

For more information on how to manage your team effectively, with tips to looking after employee wellbeing and productivity, download our handy guide: Managing the wellbeing and productivity of your remote team.