Remote Work and Employee Wellbeing

Last year, we rolled out an experimental company perk: Ethena employees can expense up to $100/month towards bonding activities with each other. Why? Because even though a good chunk of the workforce has gone remote, employees still crave a sense of community. And as many of us in the HR/People space have had to learn the hard way: *More* virtual happy hours and pizza parties isn't going to cut it. So what's a People professional to do? Explore new and experimental ways to provide the sense of community employees want — while keeping things sustainable for both the People team and the company budget, of course. So how did our little experiment shake out? - The response was instantaneous. All across the company, our location-based Slack channels started pinging with employees eager to organize get-togethers: Dinner, rock climbing, trips to the nail salon for a fun mani-pedi. We've even opened the perk up to virtual bonding activities, i.e. a virtual cooking class with a personal chef. - Our employees are leveraging this perk in exactly the ways we hoped they would. So far, employees all across the US and Canada have met up to: Watch a Broadway play, go out for tapas, spend a day canoeing — and more! - The sense of camaraderie and inspiration around this perk has been incredible to watch. People are sharing pictures of their meetups on Slack, getting others excited about arranging get-togethers for their own local groups, and showing us as a company the many, varied ways of building team culture and employee satisfaction. And before you ask: No, we're not overly prescriptive about it. If the money is going towards hanging out with someone (or several someones) at the company, we tell our employees to go ahead and expense it. Although this is just one of many efforts we've continued to make towards fostering a sense of community at work, it's one that has stood out for the flexibility it allows employees to connect in the ways that work best for them without requiring an incredible lift from the People team. What are your favorite ways of building community at work?

Loneliness Epidemic. Friendship Recession. Chances are, you’ve seen these phrases all over your feed these past 12 months. Phrases that reflect a growing crisis in how we connect (beyond likes and comments). Loneliness isn’t just a personal issue; it’s one of today’s key leadership challenges. Gallup’s latest State of the Global Workplace report shows 1 in 5 employees feels lonely at work, and the numbers are even higher among younger and remote workers. With stats like these, there’s a good chance someone on every team feels a little lonely or disconnected. And we’re talking about something that directly impacts our teams with loneliness affecting performance, creativity, loyalty, and team energy. When people feel disconnected, motivation drops, and so does that spark that keeps a team thriving. So here’s a question for us as leaders: Are we doing enough to create spaces where real connection can happen in our teams? Creating connection doesn’t mean we need to start planning endless team-building exercises or expecting everyone to be besties. Instead, it’s about crafting an environment where friendships can just… happen. Organically. Unforced. In my own team, which is fully remote, we’ve found ways to create intentional connection points that feel natural and unforced. For example: 🌟 Weekly check-ins that go beyond the agenda. Instead of just ticking off updates, we make space to talk about life—what’s going on over the weekend, a random discovery someone made, or just a funny story from the week. 🌟 In-person meetups whenever we can swing it. We’re fully remote, but we carve out time a few times a year to actually be in the same room. There’s just something about those face-to-face moments that recharges us—it’s a whole different energy. 🌟 A lively team chat where we share everything from Netflix recommendations to favourite new recipes. It might sound small, but it’s these everyday touches that make us feel like a real team. Here are a few creative ideas I’ve seen other teams implement successfully to build connection—swipe through for inspiration. What’s working for your team? Have you found an approach that sparks real connection, or maybe experimented with something that hilariously flopped?

Remote work challenge: How do you build a connected culture when teams are miles apart? At Bunny Studio we’ve discovered that intentional connection is the foundation of our remote culture. This means consistently reinforcing our values while creating spaces where every team member feels seen and valued. Four initiatives that have transformed our remote culture: 🔸 Weekly Town Halls where teams showcase their impact, creating visibility across departments. 🔸 Digital Recognition through our dedicated Slack “kudos” channel, celebrating wins both big and small. 🔸 Random Coffee Connections via Donut, pairing colleagues for 15-minute conversations that break down silos. 🔸 Strategic Bonding Events that pull us away from routines to build genuine connections. Beyond these programs, we’ve learned two critical lessons: 1. Hiring people who thrive in collaborative environments is non-negotiable. 2. Avoiding rigid specialization prevents isolation and encourages cross-functional thinking. The strongest organizational cultures aren’t imposed from above—they’re co-created by everyone. In a remote environment, this co-creation requires deliberate, consistent effort. 🤝 What’s working in your remote culture? I’d love to hear your strategies.

Your remote work boundaries are under attack daily. Most people never spot the warning signs. Blurred lines. Constant pings. Feeling like you're always on? These aren't small annoyances - They're quiet energy leaks disguised as "normal." 👉🏼 15 subtle signs your remote work boundaries are being crossed (and exactly what to say to fix it fast) 1. Meeting invites appear with less than 24 hours notice ↳ "For last-minute meetings, please include the agenda and expected outcome so I can prioritize properly" 2. You receive work messages during your off-hours ↳ "I'm currently offline. I'll address this tomorrow during my working hours of [time]" 3. 30-minute meetings regularly run over ↳ "We have 5 minutes remaining. Should we schedule a follow-up or prioritize what's most urgent?" 4. You feel compelled to explain personal appointments ↳ "I'll be unavailable from 2-3pm" rather than justifying with personal details 5. Colleagues comment when your status is set to "away" ↳ "I step away from my computer regularly throughout the day for focus and wellbeing" 6. Weekend emails come with Monday am deadlines ↳ "For weekend requests, I'll need until [realistic time] to properly address this" 7. Your camera is expected to be on for every meeting ↳ "I'll be audio-only for this session" without detailed explanation 8. "Quick questions" constantly interrupt your deep work ↳ "I'm in focused work until 11am. I can help you after that, or is there someone else who can assist?" 9. You're added to projects without discussion of capacity ↳ "Before I commit, I need to review my current workload. Can we discuss priorities?" 10. Your lunch breaks are becoming meeting slots ↳ "I block this time for a proper break to maintain energy and focus for afternoon work" 11. Deadlines get moved up without your input ↳ "The new timeline will impact quality. Here are our options given the change..." 12. Your vacation responder is on (but you still check) ↳ "I'm fully offline during this scheduled leave. For immediate assistance, please contact [colleague]" 13. People expect immediate responses to non-urgent messages ↳ "I check messages at scheduled times throughout the day. For urgent matters, please call" 14. Back-to-back meetings leave no transition time ↳ "I schedule meetings to end 5 min early to allow for transitions and preparation" 15. "Are you there?" msgs when you don't respond immediately ↳ I'm focusing on deliverables throughout the day. I'll respond during my next message check at [time]" Remote work without clear boundaries isn't flexibility. It's an invisible prison of constant availability ✨ Which boundary will you strengthen this week? Share below! -- ♻️ Repost to help your network reclaim control of their remote work boundaries 🔔 Follow Dr. Carolyn Frost for more strategies to succeed without sacrificing wellbeing

5 years ago, I hit “send” on a 2:13am launch recap, then stared at the screen, too numb to celebrate the win we’d chased for months. The next day, I asked a direct report how their “second week” was going. She gently reminded me that she joined two months ago. That was embarrassing b/c I pride myself on knowing my people and my team. And that was a wake-up call. Hitting pause felt reckless at first, but stepping away, sleeping more than 4 hours, and delegating tasks changed everything. Our pipeline didn’t collapse.  Our creativity actually spiked.  And our team morale was better than ever. Now “2:13 a.m. syndrome” is my shorthand. I always make sure to check in with my team regularly in 1:1s for the earliest signs of fatigue, and we course-correct before burnout happens. Burnout is a serious issue in the B2B space, especailly now with how fast things are moving. And this can have a significant impact on you and your team's productivity and morale. It's important to recognize the warning signs and have a plan for if/when you have to deal with it. 𝐒𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐛𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐭: 1. Increased fatigue and fatigue that persists even after rest  2. Loss of enthusiasm or motivation  3. Feelings of apathy or detachment  4. Negative thinking or outlook  5. Difficulty concentrating or remembering  6. Decreased productivity or quality of work  7. Physical signs of stress, such as headaches or stomachaches  8. Increased irritability or impulsiveness  9. Changes in sleep or appetite  10. Increased reliance on substances such as alcohol, drugs, or cigarettes 𝐖𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐭 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐰: 1. Take regular breaks throughout the day  2. Get adequate sleep and rest  3. Exercise and eat healthy meals  4. Practice relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, yoga, or meditation  5. Connect with friends, family, and colleagues  6. Set boundaries between work and home life  7. Prioritize tasks and delegate when necessary  8. Practice self-care, such as taking a walk, reading a book, or getting a massage  9. Talk to a mental health professional for additional support  10. Develop a support network of people who understand your work and personal life 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐝𝐝? 😊

Remote work was supposed to improve mental health. New data shows it might be making things worse. Yet 36.2 million Americans will work remotely by 2025—including millions in healthcare. Here's the paradox I'm seeing in digital health: We're building remote mental health platforms while remote work itself creates mental health problems. Think about that for a second. 20% of remote workers cite loneliness as their biggest struggle, but we're asking them to provide virtual care for other people's loneliness. Something's not adding up. Millions of telehealth visits are being delivered with clinicians working remotely across the country. The model works for access to care. But here's what nobody talks about: 1/ Virtual care providers experience unique isolation ↳ No water cooler conversations ↳ No colleague to debrief with after difficult sessions ↳ Home becomes both workplace and trauma container ↳ Professional boundaries blur into personal space 2/ The loneliness compounds itself ↳ Isolated providers treating isolated patients ↳ Both sides missing human connection ↳ Technology mediates every interaction ↳ Empathy through screens takes extra emotional labor 3/ We're solving the wrong problem ↳ Remote work addresses geography, not connection ↳ Virtual care increases access but decreases touch ↳ We optimize for efficiency over humanity ↳ The cure becomes part of the disease 4/ The data tells a complex story ↳ Remote workers report both more flexibility AND more anxiety ↳ Virtual care improves access AND reduces therapeutic alliance ↳ We save commute time but lose transition rituals ↳ Freedom comes with invisible costs What I learned building telehealth at scale: The future isn't choosing between remote and in-person. It's designing for human connection regardless of medium. Our best outcomes came when we: • Created virtual "hallways" for informal team connection • Built in transition rituals between patient sessions • Mixed synchronous and asynchronous touchpoints • Prioritized provider community as much as patient care Maybe the future of healthcare isn't fully remote OR fully in-person. Maybe it's something entirely different. Maybe it's finally admitting that healthcare is fundamentally about human connection—and designing every system, whether virtual or physical, around that truth. --- ⁉️ How has remote work affected your mental health or your team's wellbeing? What works and what doesn't? ♻️ Repost if you think we need to rethink remote work in healthcare 👉 Follow me (Reza Hosseini Ghomi, MD, MSE) for honest conversations about healthcare's digital transformation

41% of employees forced back to the office report increased stress. But here's the plot twist: remote workers are struggling too. I just reviewed the latest data on return-to-work policies and mental health. The findings will challenge your thinking: The Dark Side of RTO Mandates ↳ Forced choice between wellbeing and employment ↳ Loss of autonomy triggers anxiety and depression   ↳ Commute stress returns with a vengeance ↳ Work-life balance destroyed overnight Real cost: 33% higher quit rates when flexibility disappears But Remote Work Isn't Perfect Either ↳ 56% of remote workers go weeks without leaving home ↳ 25% don't speak to anyone for days ↳ Social isolation is crushing younger employees ↳ Career development stalls without in-person mentorship The Game-Changing Discovery Stanford's landmark study cracked the code: Hybrid work (2 days remote, 3 days in-office) with EMPLOYEE CHOICE: ↳ 33% reduction in turnover ↳ Better job satisfaction ↳ Zero productivity loss ↳ Preserved career advancement The secret ingredient? Autonomy. The Mental Health Math ↳ Voluntary arrangements = better outcomes ↳ Mandated anything = increased distress ↳ One-size-fits-all = guaranteed failure Bottom line: It's not WHERE people work that matters for mental health. It's whether they have a CHOICE in where they work. 3 Evidence-Based Recommendations: 1. Give employees autonomy over their arrangements 2. Implement gradual transitions, not sudden mandates 3. Strengthen mental health support regardless of location Here's what most leaders miss: Mental health issues cost $1 trillion globally. But every $1 invested in workplace mental health returns $4. The question isn't whether remote work or office work is "better." It's whether we're brave enough to prioritize human wellbeing over control. ==================== ⁉️ What's been YOUR experience with return-to-office policies and mental health? ♻️ Share if you believe employee choice should drive workplace policy 👉 Follow me for more (Eric Arzubi, MD).

Ever wondered why some of the hardest working people are also the most drained? 🤔 Shockingly, research from Yale indicates that 50-60% of employees are not just burned out—they're 'engaged-exhausted.' This term might be new, but the reality is deeply felt among dedicated professionals. It's a modern work paradox where commitment meets depletion, very different from the 1.8% who are simply disengaged and burned out (a much smaller number than I thought). 📉 Why is this distinction important? Because it shatters our conventional understanding of burnout. The 'engaged-exhausted' aren't detached or indifferent; they care deeply and that's precisely what fuels their burnout. Here are 10 signs that someone might be giving too much: 1. Workaholism: They're the last to leave and their personal time often becomes office time. 2. Perfectionism: Nothing is ever good enough; they're the ones spending hours on tasks others would complete in minutes. 3. Difficulty Saying No: Their inability to turn down tasks means their plates are perpetually overflowing. 4. Neglecting Self-Care: Regular meals, adequate sleep, and mental breaks are often sacrificed at the altar of 'getting it done.' 5. Obsession with Work: Their mind is held captive by work, even in moments meant for rest and relaxation. 6. Social Withdrawal: They're missing in social circles, always buried in responsibilities. 7. Micromanaging: Trust is overshadowed by their need to control every detail. 8. Impaired Decision-Making: Fatigue clouds their judgment, leading to snap decisions they might regret. 9. Reduced Creativity: When overworked, even the brightest minds struggle to shine. 10. Increased Anxiety: The weight of their workload is a constant companion, leading to heightened stress. Recognize these signs in someone…or in yourself? For me, 2, 5, and 10 resonate.  What about you? How we can support the well-being of our most engaged colleagues before they reach the point of exhaustion? For a deeper dive, check out: "Highly Engaged but Burned Out: Intra-Individual Profiles in the US Workforce."

62% of Indian remote workers feel pressured to respond to work messages during off-hours, causing burnout and impacting work-life balance. Why am I sharing this? Because if you’re feeling overwhelmed by constant notifications and the pressure to be perpetually available, you’re not alone. Studies conducted by companies like Tata Group indicate that while WFH offers flexibility, it also increases mental strain. Many report finding it challenging to maintain a structured daily routine and a clear separation between work and home life, Especially with the presence of family at home or makeshift office spaces. Remember, it’s okay to set boundaries. Just because you’re home doesn’t mean you have to be on-call 24/7. Your mental health and productivity will thank you in the long run. Just like a dead-end job or a toxic environment, this too is figureoutable. Create a schedule that works for you, set those “unavailable” hours, and protect your well-being. Here are three ways to reclaim your work-life balance in a WFH world: 1. Establish “Do Not Disturb” Times: Decide on fixed hours to log off and stick to them. Use calendar notifications or “Do Not Disturb” settings to signal to your team that you are offline. 2. Take Actual Breaks: Step away from your workspace during breaks. Even short breaks can refresh your mind and reset your focus. 3. Set Communication Expectations: Let colleagues know when you’re available and when you’re not. This will help manage others’ expectations and reduce unnecessary pressure. Your time is yours set the boundaries, and protect it. #wfh #tata #remotework #burnout #worklifebalance #manager #jobs #employee #india #linkedin