4 Common Issues Remote Workers Face

Paola CardenasCompany
Dec 2018

It’s great to work from home, and the GLIDE team loves that we have the ability to do so! We have the luxury to work in our pjs, skip a shower day every now and then, be there when our kids step off the school bus or start the day a little later because our body asked for an extra hour of sleep.

As with anything, working remotely isn’t all sunshine and rainbows – it also comes with its struggles. These are some of the most common issues that remote workers may encounter on a regular basis – but there’s a solution for every problem!

Time Zones

What a time to be alive! Today, we can work literally from ANYWHERE, as long as we have our laptops and an internet connection. However, when a team is scattered around the globe, finding a time to bond, communicate and schedule meetings can be tough.

One excellent solution is to define overlapping time periods during the day that fits the needs of the majority. Some people might have to wake up an hour early or stay online an hour late, but setting these defined times aside specifically for team meetings can help everyone plan accordingly.

Also, having an official company time zone can help the team figure out the time difference from their location. Use tools to convert time zones to quickly find out what time zone a specific team member is in.

FOMO (fear of missing out)

Whether you work for a company that is 100% remote or not, there may be times where you experience FOMO: fear of missing out. It could be that some of your co-workers work at a physical office, or if in a 100% remote company setting, a big chunk of them are in the same time zone and you’re not. You may feel like you’re out of the loop. What can you do to feel part of the group and be included in some of the inside jokes?

Collaboration tools such as Slack, Asana, Trello or Basecamp (just to name a few), where people can update statuses on projects, meetings or what you did last weekend in real time. These tools can help create transparency in the company as well as open direct lines of communication internally. Integrating these tools as part of the company culture invites the team to connect with one another and allows everyone the opportunity to have equal contribution.

Feeling like you’re working all day

One of the main reasons behind working remotely is that you’ll have a better work-life balance, right? Ironically, sometimes we end up working even more when we’re at home than when we were in the office. It’s just so easy to check on “just one more thing” as you prepare to sign off for the day, that eventually leads us down a rabbit hole and before we know it, 2 or 3 more hours have passed by.

Establishing a routine that works around your schedule, especially the times when you’re most productive. For some it’s in the morning, for some later in the day. Maximize your time during those hours. Use time tracking software and prioritize your tasks daily/weekly to help balance out the amount of time you spend working. You still have a life outside of your house, remember? Which leads us to our final issue.

Loneliness

Feeling lonely is a pretty common issue that remote workers face. It can be especially difficult for our beloved extroverts, who get energized by being around others.

Set a couple days a week to work out of a coffee shop or co-working space to help alleviate the loneliness. You can also reach out to a co-worker or two and set up a working session for a couple of hours via your video conferencing system of choice (we use Zoom here at GLIDE). It might not be actual human contact, but it sure is better than no contact at all!

As a completely remote team, GLIDE is mindfully taking all opportunities to stay connected and we are committed to being highly functional and productive. If you are interested in more tips and stories from our remote team, subscribe to our blog today.

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