Establishing and maintaining a successful remote work arrangement requires that an employee and their supervisor work closely to establish clear expectations, communicate effectively, and identify growth opportunities. Prioritizing these factors along with the work at hand will enhance employee engagement and job satisfaction.

The following guidance provides employees with ideas and suggestions for remaining actively engagement with their job, their supervisor, and their colleagues while working remotely:

Seek Out Professional Growth Opportunities

Developing your skills, expanding your knowledge, and acquiring new abilities will help you be successful in your flexible work arrangement, engage with your work in new ways, and allow you to grow professionally on-the-job while also positioning you for new opportunities.

Through a continuous learning mindset, you can find opportunities to develop and grow through day-to-day assignments, challenging work-related projects, webinars and other targeted seminars, and digital learning platforms such as LinkedIn Learning. Consider these 7 reasons why continuous learning is important.

As a UO employee, you have unlimited access to LinkedIn Learning, which provides comprehensive resources and expert instructors. It offers personalized learning recommendations based on experience and individual utilization. The training and resources are self-directed and can be accessed from any desktop or mobile device.

Prioritize Communication

You feel more engaged when you feel like you’re part of a team. When working remotely, it can be hard to remember that you are not alone and that you are part of a team. Some ways that you can help foster a sense of community while maintaining social distancing:

• Communicate often with colleagues and with your supervisor. Offer support, share ideas, and talk about challenges and opportunities you are experiencing.
• Make it a priority to connect with colleagues virtually. Organize virtual gatherings and activities such as a virtual coffee break or lunch, posting pet photos on a Teams channel, or initiating a virtual run/walk.

Maintain a Healthy Work-Life Balance

Remote employees may have difficulty establishing a healthy work-life balance at times. Since there is less physical separation between their workspace and their personal space, employees may feel like they need to be available for work 24/7, which can lead to additional stress and, eventually, burnout.

• It is important to create appropriate boundaries between work and home life. Set appropriate work hours, take breaks, and focus on your mental and physical health.
• Access support and assistance resources such as Canopy, our employee assistance program provider, and other community resources to help you find balance based on your circumstances.

Stay Connected With UO

Take pride in our campus community and the amazing work taking place all around. Good work and news is all around us. Reflecting on the bright spots reinforces a sense of pride for being a Duck.

Additional Resources

Productivity and Remote Work Balance - This LinkedIn Learning course is available to assist employees in building or enhancing the skills needed for operating in a remote/hybrid work environment.