Working from home will remain part of everyday working life in Switzerland

Almost half of Swiss employees worked from home at the height of the crisis. According to a survey, only 10% had made use of this form of work before coronavirus. Now working from home has become established - around half would also like to work from home after the crisis. Regardless of this, both employees and employers are having many positive experiences with working from home.

Quick familiarization

For many employees, suddenly working from home is unfamiliar. However, they quickly get used to the new situation and appreciate the advantages. Above all, there is the time flexibility that comes from not having to travel to work. Travel costs can also be saved. Even those who used to work in open-plan offices appreciate the peace and quiet at home and can concentrate better if necessary. Of course, this requires a certain amount of self-discipline and effective time management. If you manage to do this, you will work at least as well at home as in the office.

Good organization is important 

In terms of discipline, it has proven effective to draw up a schedule and prioritize all upcoming tasks for a working day. It is also important to set yourself deadlines in order to keep to all timings. You should also make sure to take a break from time to time: What often happens by itself at the coffee machine with colleagues in the office is often forgotten when working from home.

That's why it makes sense to take a walk in between and then take a fresh look at the to-dos that still need to be done. If possible, a separate room or area should be set up as an office to block out as many distractions as possible. In this way, you separate work and private life, both spatially and mentally.

Eliminate the risk of isolation

Both employees and employers have found that communication has become much more important - both on a business and interpersonal level. In order to eliminate the risk of individual employees isolating themselves when working from home, employees should regularly speak to their line manager and other colleagues and discuss their projects. This should also include simple conversations and questions about personal well-being. This promotes trust and prevents uncertainty in times of coronavirus.

Fixed appointments between the boss and employees are suitable for such discussions, where they can bring each other up to date and ask questions. Regular virtual team meetings via video conference are also useful. This keeps colleagues in touch. Teams can also arrange to meet for a virtual coffee or an after-work drink for a private chat.
A good infrastructure is important

In order for working from home to be implemented properly, a stable, digital infrastructure must be created by the employer. This not only includes questions about the necessary hardware and software, but also about data protection. Employers are best advised to draw up a plan with IT and train employees accordingly. As a rule, however, many companies are already well positioned in this respect and have had to adapt quickly to the new circumstances right now.

Digital onboarding in the home office

Nowadays, not only job interviews take place via video call, but also digital onboarding. This can work very well if a few rules are observed. First of all, the company must be aware that digital onboarding is also important in order to be able to fully deploy and integrate the employee as quickly as possible. In addition, the new employee must have all the technical requirements, such as a laptop or smartphone, and be able to access all the necessary programs. The right software, such as Zoom, Skype or Slack, is also the basis for good communication.

Once all the requirements have been met, regular contact is important. It has proven to be advantageous if the newcomer has a trusted person who can help with any questions. Line managers are also invited to attend regular onboarding meetings. This allows many questions to be clarified directly.

Working from home after the crisis

Many companies and professionals have had positive experiences with working from home in recent weeks. Even though most employees are expected to return to work in the coming weeks, working from home will be more firmly anchored in everyday working life than ever before after the crisis. Video calls in particular, which can replace scheduled meetings, interviews or onboarding processes on site, will play an important role. Employees and employers will have to adapt to this in the future. Countless employees have already proven in recent weeks that it can work.