When Covid abruptly forced a transition to remote work in March 2020, corporate leaders assumed it would be temporary. However, when employers tried to bring workers back to the office, they realized their team members had different expectations.

“Employees had really found their voice. And that voice said, ‘hey, it’s just not necessary for me to go into the office to be productive at my job. In fact, I think I can be more productive while working from home,’” said Gabriela Mauch, head of ActivTrak’s productivity lab, during a recent From Day One webinar about “The Secrets of Boosting Remote Team Productivity and Performance.”

ActivTrak is a workforce analytics and productivity management software company that helps employers optimize processes and technology to make the new normal of remote and hybrid work as effective as possible.

“The technology solutions that really unlocked potential in the office might not be the exact same technology solutions that you need for your highly distributed, highly flexible, hybrid remote workforce,” Mauch said. “In fact, organizations that are really rolling up their sleeves and committing to figuring this out are saying, ‘What's the right technology I need? How can I support my employees? How do we need to alter our management practices, to really make sure that we can unlock the potential of our workforce?’”

The Challenges of Remote Teams

Gabriela Mauch of ActivTrak led the webinar titled "The Secrets of Boosting Remote Team Productivity and Performance" (company photo)

Many company leaders believe some of their employees are less productive when working from home. In contrast, others have become so efficient in this new environment that they are experiencing burnout, says Mauch.

Another challenge employers are facing is onboarding new team members. Especially if there isn’t an opportunity to see one another in the office on a daily basis and quickly identify areas that need support.

Workplace policy effectiveness and adherence can also be an issue, says Mauch. “A lot of us struggle with the validation of scheduling and policies that we have in our environments today,” she said.

For example, if employees are expected to be in the office a certain number of days per week and work remotely the rest of the time, “That becomes really hard when the workforce itself isn’t just as visible as it once was,” Mauch said. “Maybe there’s an absence or inconsistency of badging data, scheduling data, and really tracking and whether or not the policies are being adhered to.”

Finally, there’s the question of whether investments in technology are making the hybrid workplace more efficient. “Is it really being used in a way that we expect people to use the office space that we have?” Mauch asked. “Is the workforce that we’ve employed fully optimized as they work remotely?”

Getting Insights Into Productivity

Javier Aldrete, senior vice president of product at ActivTrak, said the company’s software allows employers to click on various teams within their organization to see key leading indicator metrics for each member, such as productive time, non-productive time, and productivity ratio.

“This very quickly gives you the ability to see what’s happening at the team level,” he said. “For each particular team member, we can get a little bit more of their pattern of work, like how are they working through the day, are they taking breaks, when are they taking the breaks, or are they just continuing without any breathers in between meetings.”

Employers can use these reports to understand when an employee might be able to have a conversation and when they shouldn’t be disrupted, says Aldrete. He said they are also a vital tool for managers to see who might need some support to reach their goals.

ActivTrak’s location insights feature is a helpful tool when designing hybrid workplace policies, according to Aldrete. “You can see metrics like those productive hours per day in leading indicators that we described earlier, but broken up by location,” he said.

This means ActivTrak tracks productivity in three different setups. First, working 100% of the day from somewhere outside the office, whether from home, a coffee shop, or another location. Or working part of the day in the office and part of the day remotely. Lastly, those working the entire day in the office.

Employers can also use ActivTrak to gain insight into the workload balance occurring within teams, says Alderte. For example, some people may be putting in too many hours, while some need to work more hours and others are achieving a healthy balance.

“We’re able to see the distribution of the work within the team and make decisions around reallocating work, changing project deadlines and goals, as well as potentially deciding whether we need to hire more folks to help this team balance out that work,” Aldrete said.

When it comes to evaluating the productivity of a hybrid workforce, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, says Mauch. However, the overall philosophy for doing so remains the same.

“The idea is that your people organization and your business leaders are being thoughtful about the culture of your organization and the employee base, and having open and honest conversations about leveraging this data for performance, as well as just the overall enablement of hybrid work,” she said. “A lot of organizations have employees that really want to be hybrid, or really want to be remote, but leaders are less comfortable with allowing that to happen. And so, there’s this business case for having a solution that provides some level of accountability for remote work while still allowing it to take place.”

Editor's note: From Day One thanks our partner, ActivTrak, for sponsoring this webinar.

Mary Pieper is a freelance reporter based in Mason City, Iowa.

Using Technology to Prevent Burnout: Modernizing Workplace Mental Health

Nearly 2 in 3 workers experience burnout. Most of them do not have easy access to the resources needed to help with mental well-being. Employers are now wondering, “How can we better support our employees?” The answer may lie in our growing technological landscape.Nivati, a company focused on providing better mental health resources for employers and employees alike, is looking to change this reality, says Haeli Harris, director of clinical operations at Nivati. Harris spoke during a thought leadership spotlight titled, “Well-Being: What is it? And What Technology Can We Use to Promote it?” at From Day One’s Miami conference.Clients who come to see her often have an imbalance of some kind. Seeking out and solving that imbalance can be a challenge, says Harris. While 46% of workplace employees report diagnosable mental illnesses, more than half of them will not seek professional treatment, according to a study from the National Library of Medicine.“It’s not always just something wrong with the mind. Sometimes there’s social pieces, career pieces, their environment, the places that they’re in,” she said, “and so we really want to be thinking about all of those different areas.”Using data collected from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, she said, leaders at Nivati have discovered just how being off-balance affects employees’ mental and physical health. Each person is different in how they manage stressors, says Harris. “Well-being isn’t a one-size-fits-all.”To help workers, employers should first understand barriers to finding therapeutic solutions. Many who do not get treatment cite lack of transportation or availability as well as cost for reasons why they cannot reach the care they need. In the workplace, there is an additional barrier—the stigma around admitting mental health struggles. Some may feel they would rather handle it themselves than go to their employer, says Harris.The Effects of BurnoutBurnout plays a large role in this dynamic. Looking at the numbers, a 2022 Aflac WorkForces report found 59% of workers experience burnout.Haeli Harris of Nivati led the thought leadership spotlight “A lot of people feel pretty hopeless in how we fix this,” said Harris. “We’re trying to encourage people. Let’s not give up. Let’s think of those attitudinal barriers and what we can do in the workplace to help with those.”Burnout does not begin with the mental and physical collapse of a worker. There are stages and signs that burnout is coming. Employees first feel burned out for a variety of reasons, including a sense that their workplace is not concerned with their well-being. While workplaces provide health insurance, there are often other ways to support employees and address feelings of burnout.Employees will start calling out of work, Harris says. They find they can not focus as well, and their productivity starts to decline. They stop practicing self-care, and lack either access to or willingness to see a counselor. Employees will eventually cease discussing their career goals with their employers, as they no longer have the energy to produce high-quality work.Using Technology to HelpStudies have found if employers directly address the importance of well-being, mental health and self-care, the employees are less likely to experience burnout. “We want to encourage people to continuously learn, not just about the things they do at their job, but about mental health, too,” Harris said.Employers can help by increasing access to several pillars of self-care and focusing on supportive leadership. In her own workplace, Harris recommends promoting meditation and mindfulness.Meditation and mindfulness are centuries-old practices that encourage living in the present moment. For many, this could mean spending time in nature. For others, mindfulness could mean practicing yoga and focusing on more physical solutions to stress or anxiety. Many utilize apps, classes, programs and video guides to reach a sense of emotional peace. The concept and positive impact of mindfulness, Harris said, “is clinically proven.”Well-being in the workplace doesn’t stop there. Employers can also offer supportive leadership by way of training directed at managers, who can then be better-equipped to both recognize and help when the early stages of burnout begin in employees. She recommends hosting one training each quarter. The availability of online, remote training means employers can access these much easier and more reliably.An important piece of the puzzle surrounding mental health is physical health. Wellness incentive programs, like providing gym memberships or walking challenges, has a marked positive effect on employees’ connections to their work. Physical exercise helps alleviate feelings of depression, anxiety and stress. Movement and exercise can directly curb those looming feelings of burnout and mental exhaustion in the workplace.Even for mostly remote workplaces, Harris said keeping up on communication apps such as Slack will help employers stay connected to their employees.The Social Aspects of WorkOften a symptom of burnout is an employee feeling underappreciated for their work. It does not have to be that way. Employee recognition and consistent acknowledgement of a workers’ efforts can lift them up and feel more motivated to continue with high-quality work. There are also ways to “use these apps and all the technology that is out there,” she said.Each quarter, Nivati hosts book clubs through their preferred communication app. Apps like Calm or Headspace are popular for workplaces looking to “provide quiet places and then encourage mindfulness practices,” she said.Having employee-focused training is another way to promote these types of self-care techniques. Nivati consults with nutritionists, financial coaches and personal trainers—to name a few—who offer personal development programs. Nivati has an on-demand video library with different types of programs doing just this, she said, which is “a great opportunity for people to go and choose what they want to learn.”“Psychological safety is a big thing that’s been talked about more for companies, and I think it’s important that we do think about how our leaders are showing they have an open door,” Harris said.Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Nivati, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight.Sydney Brown is a freelance journalist from Vancouver, WA. Her work has appeared in The Seattle Times, The Spokesman-Review and The Columbian.

Applying the Drivers of Appreciation to Support People and Business

Showing employees that you appreciate them doesn’t stop at recognizing efforts on a specific project; that’s only the beginning. To inspire engagement, loyalty, and performance, it’s important to demonstrate that you appreciate and support the employee as a whole person.At From Day One’s Miami conference, Alexandra Powell, the director of cultural insights at Reward Gateway, spoke in a thought leadership spotlight session on the distinction between recognition and appreciation, and shared new insights on leveraging appreciation drivers to boost employee engagement and satisfaction. With 15 years of experience driving organizational culture change through leadership coaching and training, Powell leads employee recognition research at Reward Gateway and partners with clients seeking enhanced engagement through the use of recognition and communication tools.The Power of AppreciationBerkeley Haas School of Business conducted a study showing that people who were recognized at work were 23% more effective and productive, while people who felt appreciated for who they are as a person were 43% more effective and productive.While these numbers speak for themselves—feeling genuinely appreciated nearly doubled employee effectiveness and productivity—it is more nuanced than simply telling people leaders to appreciate their employees more.Powell demonstrated this difference in a qualitative way through a personal anecdote. A few years ago when her daughter needed additional parental support, Powell’s boss quickly created a simple system for her to easily communicate each morning the level of work she was capable of that day, and helped to triage and manage her workflow on the days that she was less available. This leader honored that Powell was not only an extremely valuable employee, but a mother, and understood the importance of supporting her in balancing those roles.Despite how vital it is to both people and businesses, actions supporting employee appreciation can be challenging to identify and initiate. This led Reward Gateway to research employee perceptions to help train leaders for success.Early Research FindingsFor the first phase of their study, Reward Gateway worked with 3,000 people across the US, United Kingdom, and Australia. With traditional surveys, results can be skewed as respondents have time for a longer thought process and tend to give the answer they want to give, or the answer they think is wanted, rather than the actual answer. To record true, instinctive answers to the survey questions, Reward Gateway used a fast-response model where statements were flashed on the screen and participants had a limited amount of time to respond.The full 40-page study will be published in January, but early findings validate the importance of employees being and feeling appreciated. Using a scale of 0–100, employee appreciation is shown to impact how hard the employee works (average rating of 72.14), their engagement (average rating of 70.5), and how satisfied they are with their job (average rating of 68.7). Across the surveyed population, the average global appreciation index is 65 on that same 0–100 scale (with, of course, some deviations across multiple demographics such as gender, industry, seniority, age, organization size, and control over work.)By measuring the response speed for each statement, Powell’s team was able to identify the top five most likely drivers of employees feeling appreciated. Finding ways to impact the employee experience in these areas is one key to boosting engagement:I am recognized by managers.My hard work is rewarded.I feel I belong here.My managers support me.My organization praises me.Applying Appreciation DriversPowell shared some examples of actions her clients have taken to influence their employees’ sense of appreciation. Recognition and appreciation don’t necessarily have to require developing a comprehensive program or system. You can start with simply meeting employees where they are to show genuine interest and gratitude for them.I am recognized by managers. Add a recognition moment to team huddles. If you have weekly huddles, this adds over 50 opportunities per year to recognize and appreciate your team members—even more if this is implemented across multiple departments. If you don’t know exactly what every person is working on, that’s okay. Ask them what they have done recently that they’re most proud of, and have a conversation about it.My hard work is rewarded. A couple years ago, one of Reward Gateway’s UK clients designed and sent a festive end-of-year holiday card to all employees and, because it had been a tough year, deposited just 20 pounds into everyone’s reward accounts. The CEO was concerned about the amount of the gift, so the day the card and reward were released, the organization also shared a video from the CEO communicating “how much he appreciated them, how hard it had been, and how instrumental they’d been to this success.” He got many messages of thanks from people who could see and sense his authentic appreciation for them.I feel I belong here. Top performers may appreciate additional professional development opportunities, or having the option, after a challenging project, to participate in enrichment events outside of the office. Expand traditional recognition programs to include celebrations of individual groups and belief systems. One of Powell’s clients created a series of 124 such celebrations organized on a quarterly calendar to recognize holidays such as Autism Awareness Month, Diversity Month, National Volunteer Week, Lesbian Visibility Day, Military Appreciation Month, as well as various religious holidays. They included supporting materials and a glossary of how to recognize and celebrate intentionally.Alexandra Powell, director of client cultural insights at Reward Gateway, led the thought leadership spotlightAnother client put additional effort into welcoming and celebrating new hires during the early stages of their tenure through automated recognition of their 30, 60, and 90-day milestones. This, in combination with ongoing in-person interactions, lets employees know right away that their presence is appreciated.My managers support me. Place a well-being block on everyone’s calendar for them to use as they see fit—yoga, a walk, play music, read a book, meal plan, attend a virtual wellness class—illustrating and reinforcing the company’s awareness that each person needs time to take care of themselves in whatever way is appropriate for them.My organization praises me. Use existing recognition events to ensure frequent praise and awareness across teams. Some examples include employee appreciation days, holiday celebrations, or highlighting the team members working on new and high-visibility projects.Powell provided insights into existing theories, but also introduced some new research findings and examples of practical ways to better support appreciation in the workplace, arming attendees with a framework of ideas to improve organizational engagement and illustrate to their teams the impact they have each day.Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Reward Gateway, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight. Jessica Swenson is a freelance writer and proofreader based in the Midwest. Learn more about her at jmswensonllc.com.

How Workers Can Make Their Money Go Further With HSA and Limited Purpose FSA

An emerging but underutilized strategy involves pairing a health savings account (HSA) with a limited purpose flexible spending account (LPFSA) to save on future healthcare costs. This approach allows employees to maximize the benefits of their health and retirement investments.“Why folks often wish to pair an LPFSA with an HSA is that many folks are using the HSA like an IRA, because they’re saving it for the future,” Michael C. Eldredge, HSA product manager at Inspira Financial, said during a From Day One webinar. In collaboration with the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI), Inspira Financial released findings that employees who own both an HSA and an LPFSA invest about $3,419, yet, 30% don't withdraw from their LPFSA. 64% of workers with both accounts also still withdraw money from their HSA per year. The information sheds light on how workers with both accounts are missing significant cost-saving opportunities, and not using their LPFSAs to their fullest potential. Employers can support their workers where a major concern is securing future care benefits by informing them of this strategy. Stretching Your Healthcare Dollars Inspira Financial is an organization committed to providing health care, retirement, wealth, and benefits solutions to support the employee health and wealth journey. Their collaborative report with the EBRI outlined several ways workers can achieve maximum financial healthcare benefits. One way to maximize long-term savings is to set aside an amount that optimizes growth over time in a health savings account. Every dollar contributed reduces taxable income, and funds can grow tax-free. For example, investing $1,000 per year in an HSA could grow to over $165,000 in 40 years, while contributing less significantly reduces the total savingsMichael C. Eldredge, HSA product manager at Inspira Financial, led the webinar (company photo)Another particular advantage, Eldredge notes, is that LPFSA funds can cover preventive care that isn't covered by an employer’s health plan such as dental and vision or care for chronic health conditions. This means workers can save more by not withdrawing from their HSA accounts for those procedures. “It’s an awareness point to make sure folks realize they don’t accidentally spend from the HSA, for let’s say an online bill payment or something like that when they could have done it from the LPFSA.” Unused LPFSA funds are also carried over the next year and often have a grace period so workers have the chance to use all of it instead of losing what’s left of it. A noticeable trend with Americans who invest in HSA/FSAs alone strategize pre-tax savings to determine estimations for future medical care and copays, according to the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA). Inspira estimates that on average, men must save $184K for health care expenses in retirement, women must save $217K, and couples must save $351K. Undoubtedly, these are estimates that Americans with both accounts base their strategic planning on. This reflects a growing mindset shift occurring as more workers learn the value of HSA and LPFSA in avoiding paying more out-of-pocket and maximizing reimbursement. American Use and Perception of HSA/FSAs A 2023 CHPA study revealed that only 1 in 5 Americans have an HSA or FSA, and most are unfamiliar with their purpose. As a result, many without these accounts were unaware of the 2020 legislation that made over-the-counter medications and menstrual products eligible for reimbursement through HSAs and FSAs.Half of American workers with HSA/FSA accounts plan to invest less than $2,000 annually, unaffected by the 2020 legislation expanding eligible reimbursements to over-the-counter medications and menstrual products. Instead, 81% of workers with these accounts are focusing their investments on reimbursable medical expenses and preparing for high-cost medical and dental needs.While most American workers, both those with and without HSA/FSA accounts, agree that more healthcare expenses should qualify for reimbursement, this sentiment alone isn’t motivating them to contribute more.Employers can leverage this opportunity to educate workers about the potential to reduce out-of-pocket healthcare costs by combining HSAs with LPFSAs. Eldredge highlights that when employees understand how an LPFSA can preserve HSA funds by covering eligible dental and vision expenses with tax benefits, they can better plan for maximum reimbursement and long-term savings.Editor's note: From Day One thanks our partner, Inspira Financial, for sponsoring this webinar. Stephanie Reed is a freelance news, marketing, and content writer. Much of her work features small business owners throughout diverse industries. She is passionate about promoting small, ethical, and eco-conscious businesses.

The Secrets of Boosting Remote Team Productivity and Performance

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