Not sure how to recognize your remote workers? In this guest post, Khezia of Evolve Digital Agency shares 7 insightful ways employers can reward work from home employees.

According to a recent study from the Stanford University, more than 40% of American employees are currently working from home, accounting for over 60% of the US economic activity.

Typically, the number of employees working from home has significantly gone up in recent months due to the COVID-19 pandemic which has led to movement restrictions in many states.

Unlike working from the company premises where it’s easier to motivate employees, working from home is way harder since every employee is alone, and can only gain morale from within.

With most of your employees probably working remotely, you should find ways to reward them to keep them motivated and productive.

To get you started, here is a look at 7 ideas to reward employees who work from home.

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7 Practical Ways to Reward Work From Home Employees Without Breaking The Bank

Special Treats

In general, giving rewards is one of the ways to motivate employees and increase their productivity, as reported by the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM).

That said, a special treat can go a long way in making your employees feel appreciated.

Treat ideas include, among others, booking a massage for them, sending them a shopping voucher, or simply delivering some delicious food or flowers to their homes.

Branded Hand Sanitiser

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to terrorize people, you should encourage your employees to adhere to the precautionary directives from the US National Health Institute of Health (NIH).

These include sanitizing hands, wearing masks, social distancing, and staying at home.

To help your remote workers stay safe, you can send them a gift of branded hand sanitizer, and this will make them feel a sense of belonging to your company.

A branded hand sanitiser is also a magnificent way of creating brand awareness.

Home Office Makeover

According to the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), many employees who work from home neither have a home office nor the right furniture and equipment. This leads to poor posture, which eventually causes occupational hazards such as lower backaches and poor eyesight.

Thankfully, you can save your employees from this by upgrading their home offices and equipment to enhance their safety.

For instance, an adjustable office chair can be the best replacement for a sofa when working from home.

Full Technical Support

One of the biggest challenges affecting work-from-home employees is technical glitches in the course of their work.

So far, during your corporate webinars, your employees have probably experienced network issues such as poor audio and video quality, unstable internet connection, or even total outages.

This is mainly because the home Wi-Fi is possibly not strong enough to accommodate some tasks.

To ensure suitable working conditions, you should offer technical support to them by upgrading their bandwidth or improving the speed of their computers.

Hold a Virtual Celebration

It’s a common norm for companies to throw parties at the workplace to celebrate achievements and award outstanding employees.

During this pandemic period when most of your employees are working from home, you should do the same to keep up with the business culture and keep employees motivated.

For any good performer, you can celebrate them on the company’s virtual platforms such as the online wall of fame, webinars, and even social media pages.

Build a Recognition Program for Remote Workers

When working in isolation, your employees’ mental health can be at stake, and so, they need all the motivation they can get.

Since it may be difficult to notice good performance for remote workers, an employee recognition program can come in handy in making this easier.

For instance, you can create a site where you post employees’ achievements and have the company as well as clients recognize and celebrate them.

Alternatively, you can host frequent virtual interviews to feature well-performing employees on your company podcast or blog.

Day-Offs

Although it may seem easier working from home than commuting every morning to go to work, it’s equally tiring, and most remote workers often get fatigued.

This is majorly due to problems such as distractions, lack of motivation, social isolation, family issues, and lack of proper working equipment, as published by the Forbes Media.

This means your remote workers also need a break from official duties, and a day-off can help a great deal in keeping them going.

It’s also an incredible way to reward employees who work extra hard despite the work-from-home challenges.

Conclusion on how to reward work from home employees

Sometimes, all an employee needs are recognition of their efforts and a small reward to encourage them to keep working harder.

These are some of the incredible tips to reward employees who work from home and increase their productivity.