The Connection Magazine AIM MUTUAL Fall 2019 | Page 31

3.
If you encourage on-site employees to take breaks
to walk, run, bike, or meditate, make sure the remote
staff know it goes for them, too. Office workers need
to step away from the computer, and all workers
benefit from an exercise break.
4. Does your remote staff attend quarterly
meetings? If so, put a fun wellness activity on the
agenda.
5. Encourage remote staff to come to the annual
health fair and participate in the activities.
6. Provide a call-in option for your wellness
committee so off-site employees can be
members.
7. Remind all employees to exercise, eat a balanced
diet, and sleep at least seven hours each night. A
monthly wellness newsletter reaches everyone.
Promoting employee well-being is important in
all areas. And don’t forget to highlight the employee
assistance program. Keep the program well marketed so
all employees know what the program offers and how to
utilize the benefit.
Staying Connected
Ultimately building socialization into a telecommuting
lifestyle needs support from the employee. These Daily
Reminders can help. In addition, encourage your remote
workers to get involved in their local community and
spend time with people they care about. Remind them
social media is no substitute for direct interaction.
Studies show that an excess of time spent on social
media each day can contribute to a feeling of loneliness.
DAILY REMINDERS
FOR REMOTE WORKERS
DAY 1
Schedule a time to work close to home, but away
from home: a local coffee shop, a common area, or a
library. Be around people!
DAY 2
Put a seminar, conference, office gathering, or
in-person meeting on your calendar. Connect with
people.
DAY 3
Plan a team call rather than a series of one-on-one
calls. Video calls or a work chat platform are also
great options to stay engaged.
DAY 4
Prioritize tasks, limit your work to eight hours in a
day when possible, and organize your time so you’re
not sitting in front of the computer all day.
DAY 5
Take breaks and set an alarm to disconnect from
work, drawing the line between work and personal
time.
Young, Lauren. “How to create connections at work in the age of isolation,” Reuters,
April 12, 2019. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-world-work-remoteworkers/
how-to-create-connections-at-work-in-the-age-of-isolation-idUSKCN1RO13J
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ABOUT KIM WALKER
KIM WALKER, CSP, CWPC, is an Injury Prevention and Worksite Wellness Consultant
for A.I.M. Mutual. She joined A.I.M. Mutual in 2017 and has more than 20 years of risk
management and health and safety experience.
Her role at A.I.M. Mutual is to help policyholders develop and implement safety, regulatory,
and best practice risk reduction strategies and programs. She is a Certified Safety
Professional (CSP) as well as a Certified Wellness Program Coordinator (CWPC).
Kim holds a B.S. degree in Occupational Safety from Keene State College. She is experienced
in servicing a variety of industries including healthcare, human service agencies,
manufacturing, educational institutions, restaurants, hotels, and timber harvesting and
processing.
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