How to Encourage Breaks Throughout the day in the Remote World

There is no denying that the virtual and remote work world is here to stay. Remote work has long been something that’s been integrated into the working world. The only caveat being that it used to be reserved as a privilege. Only certain people who held certain positions could reap the benefits of working from home, or wherever there was wifi. Traditionally, these were the technical specialists, the people who were coding and creating new apps for the rest of us to utilize. However, in the last few years, all of that changed. The global COVID-19 pandemic swept across the world, and forever changed the landscape of the normal working environment. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more positions were transitioned to remote-work and work-from-home situations. 

While there were a few bumps in the road during the actual transition process, employers and employees soon saw the many benefits of remote work unfolding before their very eyes. Employees felt more fulfilled and less drained by their day-jobs, seeing as they didn’t have to spend a total of 4 hours commuting to and from work in the midst of mind-numbing-blood-boiling stop-and-go bumper-to-bumper traffic. On top of that, employers noticed that their employees were reporting similar, if not higher levels of productivity and efficiency in the context of a remote working environment. Needless to say, the remote-work-world is here to stay. That being said, it’s still important that employees take the appropriate amount of breaks throughout the day.

“If you want to boost your business’s productivity, encourage your employees to step away from their desks every now and then. Research both old and new has found a positive correlation between the ability to take short breaks and employee productivity rates.”
 
– Chad Brooks, Editor, Business News Daily –

Make Sure Employees Know it’s Okay

One of the main contributors to employees taking breaks during the day, especially in the remote work world, is that they actually know it’s okay for them to take a break. In the modern world, there is a major emphasis put on the value of ‘go-go-go’. The more you do in a day, the more admiration you attract from your peers, bosses, and others that are close to you. However, striving to constantly be doing more can lead to employee burnout. As such, it’s vital that employees know that it’s okay for them to get up from their desk and stretch their legs, or grab a snack, or whatever they need a 15 minute break to do. 

“There’s no doubt about it, I mean even I need breaks to stay concentrated when I’m working on a long and arduous task. Little mental breaks are just integral to managing a heavy workflow. No matter who you are, I promise that taking those extra 10 minutes to decompress and reset will benefit you in the long run.”
 
 – Ian Heyman, Founder, Dermasteel –

Throw in Reminders at the end of a Long Meeting

If your employees or team members have a tendency to work through the whole day without ever taking a break, it could serve well to give them little reminders. This takes almost no effort at all on the end of management. Taking a moment to remind your employees that they should take a little break after a long meeting will not only serve to reinforce the message that it’s okay for them to take regular breaks, but will also be an active reminder for them to step away from the screen and actually take that break.

Long meetings aren’t the only times that break-reminders can be helpful for your employees, and you can get creative with how and when you want to suggest breaks. 

“I’d say I send out a slack message almost once a week just reminding everyone to take breaks throughout the day. It’s always a fun chat, cause it’s full of memes and gifs and other silly things that help people remember not to take everything in life so seriously. It’s a good way to keep the energy fresh.”
 
 – Daniel Kroytor, CEO, TailoredPay –

Give Employees Time to Take Breaks

Encouraging and reminding employees to take breaks is only one half of the equation. The other, and most important part of getting employees to take regular breaks is making sure that they have adequate time to actually take and make use of the breaks that are allotted. 

Even in a remote work setting, employees can become overwhelmed, and overbooked with meetings on any given day. It’s partially on the shoulders of managers and organizational leaders to ensure that employees aren’t drowning in their work responsibilities and that they don’t have to be glued to their monitor 24/5. 

“Sometimes, during a particularly slow week, or if production has just been really good lately, I’ll just let everyone off an hour or a half hour early. I try to wait for a Friday, or a long weekend or something, but it’s just another culture building thing. We want our employees to know that we see them as humans, not just labor.”
 
 – Susan K. Shaffer, President, Pneuma Nitric Oxide –

Developing Trust in Working Relationships

One of the reasons that remote work has become so popular and is likely going to be a permanent fixture in our society for decades and decades to come, is that there’s an innate sense of trust that has to be built between employer and employee. This is because there’s not constant monitoring or any micromanaging that can really be done in remote-work-settings.

This naturally instills a certain sense of ownership and responsibility in the employee. In turn, they have a higher sense of loyalty to their position and thus put more energy and effort into performing well. As a result, they should also be allowed to take breaks on their own accord.

“When it comes to the remote workforce, I started relying on one thing in the hiring process; can I trust you. If I’m listening to you speak and I get the sense that I can just trust you, then that’s it. You’ve won the interview. I just want to hire people who want to own their work.”
 
 – Lilian Chen, Co-Founder and COO, Bar None Games –

The Importance of Taking Breaks

The science behind taking breaks has long proven that it contributes and benefits productivity in the workplace. Even in a remote working environment, it is integral to encourage employees to take breaks throughout the day.

“When you take a break, you're not shirking responsibility. You're taking care of yourself so you'll have the stamina to be your best. By learning the signs that you need a break, you'll know when to schedule some time away to help you feel more refreshed and restored.”
 
– Elizabeth Scott PhD, Wellness Coach, VeryWell Mind –