As we scramble to find ways to adjust in these uncertain COVID-19 times, organisations of all shapes and sizes are encouraging their work-from-home (WFH) employees to connect virtually via different social activities once or twice a week, with the motive of providing solidarity to each other to sail through the lockdown phase.
Team members turn to each other to bond and feel secure from the work front; from the organisation’s standpoint, the common denominator of all these activities is to increase collaboration, communication and continuity, eventually boosting employee productivity.
Online fitness
No gym? No problem! With plenty of online videos detailing exercises for different muscles, it isn’t too hard to fit a work-out into a busy day. Co-workers working out together on video sharing apps, or sharing videos of their own workouts for a little Monday motivation, can be a wonderful team-building exercise.
Recipe sharing
Why should working from home come in the way of corporate lunches? WFH-ers are now swapping their favourite recipes online (especially those one-pot wonder meals) and taking the time to enjoy being in the kitchen. If you’ve always wondered how your colleague’s meals taste so good, now’s the time to ask.
Time to (Netflix) party
The latest entrant to the remote working bandwagon is Netflix, who have seriously upped their game this quarantine season. With their new ‘Netflix Party’ extension, colleagues can now binge their favourite shows together and have fun using a group chat for reasons other than office memos.
Social Fridays
What’s better than enjoying that last evening coffee in the office before the weekend begins? Enjoying it in the comfort of your own home, of course! Companies are encouraging ‘coffee catch-ups’ for employees to chit-chat and bond over things unrelated to work.
Sharing grandma’s cures
Every culture has their special cures for all kinds of illnesses, and in these stressful times, these are becoming welcome ideas to share! From India’s turmeric and ginger chai to Greece’s lemon chicken soup, traditional wellness knowledge is being exchanged for happier, healthier employees all around.
Enable education
By being upfront about the requirements of their roles and the challenges they face, employees are opening avenues for honest discussions. Through conference calls or group messages, they’ve created platforms not only for work advice but also to help each other in other possible ways.
