It comes amid a noticeable shift in discipline among remote workers
Employers across New Zealand are being encouraged to "check in" with their team and initiate physical activities as employees remaining under remote work arrangements develop "unhealthy habits."
A survey among over 974 workers by Frog Recruitment found that remote workers have relaxed their exercise routines, with 69% of employees not finding the extra time to exercise or "can't be bothered" to do it while working from home.
"An example of the shifting attitudes is the lockdown walk – the exercise ritual that workers took immense joy in at the beginning of the pandemic have reduced to just 35% of workers continuing their lockdown exercise," said Shannon Barlow, managing director at Frog Recruitment, in a statement.
Another 28% of employees are making a kitchen-stop for lunch, according to Frog Recruitment's survey, while 72% of workers said they made more visits to the fridge for lunch and several snacks throughout their workday.
In terms of attire, more workers are "prioritising their comfort," with workers opting out of normal office footwear when at home and 45% going barefoot, while 37% said they wear slippers instead.
Barlow said they encourage casual work wardrobes because having workers relaxed and comfortable increases productivity.
Read more: Remote work is here to stay – here's how to embrace it fully
However, she advised to employers to look after their staff amid their changing attitudes and shift in discipline in terms of mental and physical health and wellness.
"Burnout has become the catch cry of the pandemic working world. The antidote to burnout, after reducing workload, is exercise and good nutrition," said the managing director.
Her suggestion: initiate physical activities to get employees moving again. This includes daily step challenges, group stretch sessions before video meetings, or even "co-worker walking meetings."
"Check in with your team and establish if they are happy in their flow. As managers of people who are increasingly WFH, our duty of care doesn't stop at the office door," she advised.
"By supporting your workforce to move more at home, they'll feel stimulated by exercise, return to their desks more engaged and this will ultimately boost productivity for your business."
