According to a study on national working trends by Landmark Space, around a third of home workers regularly feel lonely due to a lack of social interaction.

The isolation of home working is having a negative effect on the mental health of many home workers across the country. Lonely employees are less motivated and this can result in reduced productivity for businesses. So, what can organisations do to prevent remote worker isolation?

1) Set expectations

Setting clear expectations from the outset will ensure staff focus on the task in hand. Clear briefs with expected outcomes and fixed deadlines are key. Setting regular check-ins for bigger projects may be necessary to make sure staff remain on course.

2) Set frameworks for virtual communication

Make regular team meetings part of the weekly routine. Set up regular one to one check-ins with each member of the team. Call your remote workers on an ad hoc basis just to say ‘hi’ and see how they are getting on.

3) Encourage social interaction

Encourage a culture of calling rather than emailing or using online ‘chat’. Ask every employee to have a ‘virtual coffee’ with a colleague each month. Consider organising virtual office socials, incorporating team building exercises and games.

4) Give feedback

Consider allocating a block of time every week to call your team members with the sole purpose of giving feedback on the work they have done that week. Public praise is an excellent way of boosting motivation. Consider a monthly round up email praising top performers or establish monthly or quarterly staff awards to recognise the biggest contributors.

5) Focus on internal communication

People like to feel a sense of belonging. Sharing information on company goals and progress towards these goals, can help build commitment, motivation and loyalty. Internal newsletters, internal comms platforms, company meetings, etc can all help deliver strong internal communications.

6) Offer wellbeing support tools

Provide your home workers with the right software, training and benefits to help them support themselves. SkillGate’s Wellbeing Library of training courses, for example, offers loads of tips and ideas on how to manage wellbeing when working remotely. Additionally, our Health and Safety for Home Workers Certificate programme advises home workers on how to look after both their physical and mental health.

Remote working has enabled organisations to employ the best people, save money on office space, and facilitate better work life balance. However, on the flip side, a lack of human interaction can lead to loneliness. Making adjustments to the way organisations communicate and manage their remote workers can combat isolation and allow organisations to make the most of the benefits remote working can offer.