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Work from home.

All day.

Indefinitely.

For many employees, the home office prescribed in view of the Corona crisis is a novelty.

A representative survey of around 1000 Germans on behalf of the digital association Bitkom shows that one in two of the employed respondents currently works from home.

18 percent weren't allowed to do this before.

The survey was carried out between March 11th and 15th, 2020. In the meantime, the proportion has even increased.

Being able to work at home is a privilege that is denied to many professionals who have to be on site.

Nevertheless, the abrupt change to the home office is also associated with problems.

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Not only will many of them not be able to assert their right to a properly furnished job in the short term.

There are also no long-term strategies for working with colleagues and superiors.

Some feel isolated at the kitchen table at home, others despair over a flood of emails and chat messages.

How employees and bosses keep their nerves.

Take care

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Even if work from home is wanted and planned, negative feelings creep in faster than in the office.

This is shown by a survey of around 2000 employees between 16 and 65 years of age, which the Scientific Institute of the AOK carried out in 2019.

According to this, 70 percent of those who frequently work in the home office complain of anger and annoyance.

The proportion is higher than among those who only work in the office (59 percent).

They are also more likely to be nervous and irritable.

This is likely to increase in the current situation, in which a lot of improvisation has to be made and there is great uncertainty.

Suddenly everyone is no longer in the same place, but - yes, where?

It's difficult to control.

Employees and superiors are no longer so easily accessible.

If e-mails are not replied to immediately, calls go unanswered and technical problems arise, this can cause displeasure.

"You should be aware that nobody can be a perfect cloud worker right from the start," says Sabine Sonnentag, professor of work and organizational psychology at the University of Mannheim.

“Switching to this way of working takes time.

Keeping this in mind again and again makes you more relaxed. "

Common rituals

Normally, everyday work has a stabilizing effect, explains Sonnentag.

“If the usual routines are no longer applicable, it is important to create structure in another way.” This includes regular appointments.

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The weekly team meeting, for example, should continue to take place even if you no longer meet on site.

“Superiors should also clearly communicate how they can be reached,” recommends the industrial psychologist.

"The announcement can be: 'Anytime', or you set a fixed time at which you can report."

Clear announcements

It is important to communicate a lot anyway.

“There must be clear work assignments, linked to specific goals and times,” advises Sonnentag.

Initially, it could be difficult for individuals to organize and regulate themselves.

“There are people who can work better when others around them do the same.” Especially at the beginning, it can therefore make sense for the boss to discuss with each employee what he expects - and how this can be achieved.

Pick up the phone

Not everything should be managed via email or chat - as practical as that may seem.

"The direct conversation by phone or video is a sign of appreciation and personal care," says Josephine Hofmann, head of the cooperation and leadership team at the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering.

Managers should encourage their employees to call.

In addition, bosses should also contact themselves.

“Addresses in circular emails or telephone conferences are extremely important in such exceptional situations because they strengthen the team spirit,” says Hofmann.

Virtual coffee kitchen

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Many things happen on the side in everyday office life: you ask your colleagues about the weekend or take a break together.

Even if you are stuck with the content, you can ask them for advice.

The psychologist Sonnentag recommends maintaining private and task-related communication in the home office as well.

For example, by offering colleagues that they can contact you if they have questions or want to have a short chat.

For some, this can be an overcoming because it doesn't happen automatically as it does in the office.

“But you can definitely listen to whether it's okay to call home,” says Sonnentag.

After all, it shows the colleague that you care about his or her well-being.

“Some employees may find it good that they have their peace and quiet.” But nobody should become a loner, says Sonnentag.

"You have to be careful that nobody falls through the cracks."

That doesn't mean you should call everyone every two hours.

Excessive control is also not helpful.

However, if an employee does not let himself be heard for several days, both superiors and colleagues should listen to make sure everything is okay.

This text is from WELT AM SONNTAG.

We will be happy to deliver them to your home on a regular basis.

Source: Welt am Sonntag

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This article was first published in April 2020.