Obstacles during WFH that Companies Need to Overcome

Obstacles during WFH make employees and companies need to adapt. Recognize possible obstacles that arise so that team coordination remains good.

The change in habits due to the pandemic suddenly has an impact on the entire community, including employees. Employees inevitably have to work remotely or work from home. This habit is then known as Work from Home (WFH).

However, this is also not something easy. Many employees face obstacles during WFH which also affect their productivity. In an organizational setting, the following are some of the obstacles experienced by employees and need to be overcome during WFH.

1. Poor connectivity                  

The unprecedented surge in online traffic has left most telecommunication service providers facing problems. Increased demand along with increased bandwidth often creates problems when conducting online video conferencing.

The best way to solve this problem is to report your complaint to the telecommunications service and wait for a technician to fix the network. In addition, usually the company can provide a modem as a backup connection if there are problems that arise.

2. Communication between teams is not optimal

There is plenty of time to communicate with coworkers in the office, some of which is during breaks or coffee breaks. However, this option no longer exists during WFH. Communication via video conferencing is helpful, but there are certain constraints and limitations that make face-to-face meetings often necessary.

At times like this, good communication and understanding is needed. Clear and detailed communication can help define expectations on the end result of the work. Talk to coworkers and managers regularly about work and responsibilities so that there are no misunderstandings.

3. Unsupportive home environment

During WFH, you will spend time with people at home who of course have different activities so that they often become obstacles and distractions. Therefore, it is recommended that you create your own room or workplace.

Give understanding to people in the house that the room should not be disturbed. If necessary, you can make a sign that says "busy" or "can't be disturbed" on your door.

If you have children and your partner is also working, make a schedule together. Does the company allow you to work in shifts? For example, you work in the morning while your partner in the afternoon so that the children can be cared for in turns.

4. Uncertain working hours

During WFH, the boundaries of work and personal hours are not clear. Not infrequently working hours exceed the proper time. This makes it difficult for workers to carry out proper work and personal routines thus impacting productivity.

To overcome this, identify work patterns and adhere to your working hours. Schedule a lunch break. If work ends at 5 p.m., set an alarm so you don't work overtime.

Once the alarm sounds turn off all work equipment and leave the workspace to completely switch from work mode to private mode so you can rest. Set standby status using the company's collaboration tools and communicate with the team.

5. Impaired mental health

WFH's unclear working hours also have an impact on increasing screen time. This can result in blurred vision, dry eyes, headaches, obesity, and stress. In between working hours, you are advised to rest or at least do a short stretch while working.

Even if it's just a few minutes, take time to communicate with coworkers, friends, and family virtually. Because, no matter how short the time you connect with people will help.

However, if you are already feeling unbearably stressed, consider seeing a therapist. There's no need to feel ashamed to ask for help. It's not that you're weak, but it's proof that you care about yourself.

Many people hope to return to their usual activities, including returning to work in the office. If you're starting to feel that WFH is having a negative impact on your health and quality of work, talk to your boss.

To keep the needs and work support of employees well accommodated during WFH, good communication from the company is needed. This not only needs to be considered by human resources (HR), but also for stakeholders.

Understanding this, prasmul eli designed the HR for Non-HR program so that every element of the company can understand the importance of managing human resources (HR). With the existence of quality human resources, this will support the achievement of organizational goals.