The Coronavirus outbreak is forcing more Americans than ever before to work from home, and it comes with a new set of challenges.
Thousands of companies are trying to figure out how to get the most out of their employees who are not used to taking their work home.
“If you are forced to work at home, it’s going to be less efficient,” Mark Fenner, a business strategist with Scaling Up DFW, said. “And it’s going to be less efficient because you’re not going to have the infrastructure and the mindset in place to work from home.”
Fenner says companies will likely be forced to become more innovative. He says some businesses will lose productivity. However, Fenner has advice for managers who are worried about a loss in morale.
“Reach out and connect with your people,” Fenner said. “Don’t leave them isolated for long periods of time. I like the idea of giving them a peer, a buddy, that they can commiserate with during the day.”
Fenner says he's not worried about employees are have worked from home in the past. Studies show a slight uptick in productivity among those employees who are prepared to work from home.