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Tag: remote working

Three ways ADUs Go Easy on the Environment 

Homeowners thinking about adding freestanding ADUs (accessory dwelling units, a.k.a. in-law apartments, granny flats, or cottages) tend to focus on creating much-needed space without knocking down walls in the houses they’re living in, the addition of rental income, and other practical considerations. The political can also come into play: ADUs provide low-profile, distributed housing, quietly preserving a street’s character and avoiding the ire of neighborhood associations. 

In addition to the practical and the political, a third factor plays a role – or least should – in the ADU calculus: the environmental. The environmental advantages of ADUs sort themselves into three broad buckets. The first involves the efficiency of the finished ADU itself; the second is about the benefits of a smaller physical footprint; and the third support greater housing density the distributed, smaller footprints of ADUs enable. 

Efficient from the ground up

Freestanding ADUs tend to be much more efficient than the single-family homes they augment. ADU building envelopes typically include above-code insulation and weatherizing with such features as Zip System wall sheathing, OSB with rubberized membranes, and ultrahigh-efficiency doors and windows. ADUs comply with strict building-code standards, which demand that additions and new homes – including ADUs – have enough solar panels to achieve net-zero energy consumption. In addition, ADUs boast tankless water heaters as well as highly efficient mini-split HVAC systems that handle both heating and cooling, and appliances tend to be both right-sized and Energy Star rated.  

The high-volume, factory-based production of ADUs also enables a strikingly precise alignment of inputs to outputs. In fact, the waste from the onsite construction of a modular ADU is measured in garbage cans, not dumpsters. That same precision and scale can also enable the efficient recycling of metals and the composting of clean wood waste.  

Taken together, a well-built ADU is built tight and runs lean. That translates directly into low utility bills; indirectly, it allows our built environment to tread more lightly on the planet.  

Physically (and environmentally) small

When it comes to environmental footprint, a structure’s size matters. A detached ADU of 700 square feet is estimated to have just half the long-term environmental impact of that 2,262-square-foot house. 

There are knock-on benefits to going small too. There’s less room to store the stuff that accumulates into the clutter that Marie Kondo has made a career out of curating. Less room means fewer, more deliberate purchases, and less shopping means less embodied energy in the products themselves and, later, less landfilling. As I prepare to move into a 1,000-square-foot prefab home with my family of four, I can attest unequivocally that space constraints modify shopping behavior – for the better, in my opinion. 

Low-profile density

ADUs are a thoughtful way to address growing populations. While development on urban fringes consumes open space, reduces natural wildlife habitats, increases air and water pollution, and brings greater risk of mass destruction from wildfires, ADUs in yards closer to downtown translates into less need for cars and more opportunities for public transit.  

A 30-mile commute at 23 miles per gallon yields about 2.5-ton annual carbon savings per ADU from commutes not taken. Together, that’s about 42 U.S. households worth of emissions. 

There is no shortage of greenwashing in the construction industry, with bold claims about the sustainability of certain materials or techniques that don’t stand up to deeper scrutiny. The environmental advantages of living smaller and more thoughtfully, however, are undeniable.  

Backyard studio spaces for work, creativity, or living allow us to extend the life of our existing homes to work in more modern ways. Prefab construction at scale results in meaningful reductions in waste and degradation of the environment. An embrace of these structures at the municipal level will be a key element in solving our housing crisis in a way that results in more livable communities that tread ever more lightly on the planet.  

 

Jeremy NovaJeremy Nova is co-founder and creative director of Studio Shed. A longtime professional mountain bike racer who competed in the 2004 Athens Olympics, Nova built the first Studio Shed to store his many wheels. His passion for smart design, efficiency, engineering, and architecture has buoyed Studio Shed’s growth into the only ADU maker that ships nationwide for installation by a comprehensive network of certified installers. 

Managing a Remote Work Team with Communication and Ease

Though remote work has been on the rise for years, the COVID-19 pandemic caused more of a rapid shift in the popularity of working from home — and it’s a trend that’s expected to continue.   

There are plenty of benefits to remote working environments for employers and employees alike, but there are also some potential challenges. For a remote system to operate efficiently, communication needs to be clear, concise, and competent.   

Thankfully, technology has made it easier than ever to manage remote work teams. Today, there are several different software programs designed to make remote workforce management easier for everyone. But, it’s important not to rely on technology alone. Stepping up in a managerial position to make sure your employees feel heard and understood is just as crucial.  

So, what can you do to manage a remote work team with efficient communication? How can you make the experience easier and more successful for everyone?  

Keeping Things Organized 

If you’re the one in charge of managing a remote team, the responsibility of keeping things clear and organized falls on your shoulders.  

What does that mean?  

From the start, you should set clear and realistic expectations for your team. Everyone should always be on the same page when it comes to goals, job descriptions, and how often they should check in. How you go about organizing your team is up to you, of course. But, it can be helpful to expect regular updates, whether it’s every day or in a weekly briefing.  

Make sure your remote employees can reference your communication strategy whenever they need reminders. The strategy should include things like:  

  • The kinds of questions that require a conference call
  • When to email versus call 
  • How to access you at any time
  • How soon you will expect a response from someone 

The idea of organizational development is meant to improve your company culture, even for remote employees. So, be as transparent and clear as possible with everything you do. When transparency is part of your team culture, your remote employees are less likely to be confused or feel “left out” in some way. The more organized you are, the better they will respond.  

Getting Everyone Involved 

Speaking of remote employees feeling left out, that’s one potential risk when managing a remote team. It can be especially problematic if not all of your employees work remotely, and some are still working in an office setting each day. It’s not uncommon for remote workers to feel lonely, isolated, or even worry that they might not be getting the same amount of work as a co-worker who comes into the office each day.  

As a team manager, one of your responsibilities is to make sure everyone is involved in the right projects.  

Technology makes it easy to overcome geographic issues. If your business hasn’t yet invested in special communication software or programs, consider looking into some of the following:  

  • Collaboration tools  
  • Video conferencing programs 
  • Screen sharing tools 
  • Project management systems 

Online whiteboards can also be great for group meetings, especially if the meeting contains a mixture of in-person employees and remote workers. Whiteboard collaboration can help everyone to participate, whether it’s to share an idea, jot down a quick note or question, or offer a more formal presentation to others. They allow you to work together as a team in real-time, and everyone has their own specific space on the board, so no one’s ideas will be overstepped or overlooked.  

In addition to making sure everyone is involved with the work aspect of your business, it’s just as important to make sure they’re involved with company culture. Remote workers can enjoy benefits like flexibility and the comfort of working from home, but that doesn’t mean they don’t want to feel like a part of your company. So, whatever in-office traditions you might have, make sure to share them with members of your remote team.  

That might include jumping on a video call to sing happy birthday to a team member at the end of a workday or dressing casually on Fridays. If your business has holiday parties or other events, get your remote team involved by making the party “virtual,” and compensating them for getting food delivered to their home if they can’t come into the office to enjoy a catered meal. Making sure everyone stays as involved as possible will boost your company culture and motivate your employees to do more while remaining loyal and happy.  

Checking in With Individuals 

Again, it’s not uncommon for remote workers to feel left out when it comes to office festivities or even everyday “water cooler talk”. They might also feel overwhelmed and sometimes confused by a project, no matter how clear you’ve tried to be.   

You can help to alleviate those worries and strains by checking in with your remote team. Consider hosting weekly meetings with the whole group to address any sweeping concerns. You can even take things one step further by meeting individually with your remote employees. Have a “virtual coffee hour” with them once a week, and set aside specific time to talk with each person about any concerns they might have, or just to see how they’re feeling. Showing that you have a genuine interest and care about their well-being can go a long way.  

It’s also a good idea to have an “open door” policy with your remote team. They may not have the ability to come into your office each day if they have a question. So, make sure they know they can reach out to you at any time if they have any questions or concerns. Again, make sure you’re transparent about how quickly you will get back to them or the type of questions that might warrant a larger meeting. But, it’s crucial to make sure your remote workers feel just as valued as the ones working in-house.  

Avoiding Micromanaging 

As important as it is to check in with your remote team, make sure you’re doing it from a place of care, rather than wanting to micromanage their every move. It can take a lot of trust to let someone work remotely. It’s your job to make sure they stay motivated and productive without proverbially looking over their shoulder every five minutes.   

Instead, try the following tips to empower your remote employees as they work on various projects:  

  • Give them a goal 
  • Allow them to work in their own style 
  • Show them gratitude for the work they do 
  • Focus on the end goal, rather than deadlines and processes 

Workplace stress can be a huge problem, even for remote employees. By taking the time to show your remote workers more trust and letting them work in ways that are comfortable for them, they’ll be less stressed and more productive.  

As remote work continues to rise in popularity, it’s more important than ever to know how to manage a team easily. As you can see, communication is one of the major keys to making things work. By putting some of these ideas into practice, you’ll experience smoother sailing with your remote team. Before long, everyone will become more comfortable with this type of environment, but you can put yourself, your workers, and your business ahead of the game by giving your remote workers the resources, attention, and motivation they need right now.  

Noahrue Noah Rue is a journalist and content writer, fascinated with the intersection between global health, personal wellness, and modern technology. When he isn’t searching out his next great writing opportunity, Noah likes to shut off his devices and head to the mountains to disconnect.

3 things to consider when implementing a hybrid working model

There’s no question that the world of work is changing. Shifts that were beginning before the outbreak of COVID-19 have only accelerated in the aftermath of the pandemic.

Among the most significant of these, perhaps, is the growing demand for remote work opportunities. And, in response to these important evolutions in employee expectations, business leaders are increasingly interested in implementing hybrid working models in their companies.

But before you make the transition for yourself and your staff, there are some important considerations to address first. 

Prioritizing Security 

Even if your employees are only going to be working remotely a few hours per week, one of the first and most important issues you’re going to need to address is cybersecurity. Protecting your data and your systems can be quite different in a hybrid working model than in a more traditional setup.   

At the very least, you should consider setting up firewalls and a secure VPN that all employees will be required to use anytime they are working, whether they’re working on campus or remotely. Additionally, you should ensure that your employees are trained to ensure system security in remote work environments. This should not only involve requiring them to use the secure portals you have provided but it should also include training in the safe handling of mobile work devices.   

For instance, employees should be required to password protect any device on which work applications are installed. They should also be trained to handle mobile devices responsibly, including ensuring that they know where their work devices are at all times. 

Defining the Role of the Remote Worker 

Now, more than ever, it appears that the virtual office environment is the future of work. But, no matter how important a role remote work is likely to play in the continued success of your business, the correlation between the digital office and the physical office is unlikely to be exact.  

And that means that you will need to clearly define the role, status, and expectations of and for the remote worker. For example, if your hourly employees are working on a hybrid schedule, will their pay rates be the same when working remotely as when working on campus?  

This can be a thorny issue in the hybrid model, because a lower hourly wage for remote work may incentivize employees to use the virtual or physical office space. On the other hand, wages equal to that of on-campus work may be unfair insofar as it does not consider the cost savings associated with working from home. 

When transitioning to a hybrid model, you’ll also need to consider how your workers will be classified. Will they be considered regular, full-time employees? Contract workers? Your hybrid employees’ classification status will have a significant impact on your business, from taxation to entitlements, to labor laws and regulations. 

Mental Health Considerations 

For many employees, the hybrid working model is the best of both worlds because it combines the convenience of working from home with the benefits of on-campus engagement with coworkers and supervisors. That does not mean, however, that all employees will thrive in such an environment.  

And, indeed, even workers who actively sought out a hybrid schedule may find themselves struggling from time to time with the mental health challenges that can arise when working remotely. Remote workers may find themselves feeling anxious about using their work from home technology. They may feel concerned about being able to meet expectations when they don’t have immediate, face-to-face access to their colleagues. They may simply feel lonely or isolated at times when they’re removed from the social environment of the physical office. 

For this reason, it’s important to be prepared to provide mental health support for your hybrid workers. The good news, though, is that such support isn’t difficult to give. For instance, you can help boost your employees’ mood when they’re working remotely by showing them how to create a work-from-home environment that supports their mental health. You might even go the extra mile by providing employees with a gift card to be used to furnish and decorate their home office for both productivity and comfort. 

The Takeaway 

Now, more than ever, employees want and expect to have the opportunity to work from home at least part of the time. And that means that the hybrid working model may well be the future of work. However, there are important considerations that employers should address before making the transition.

The first and most significant is the prioritization of cybersecurity in the hybrid environment, from establishing secure platforms to training employees in security best practices. In addition, employers must clearly define the status of hybrid workers, including establishing fair pay rates for remote work.

Finally, the mental health of hybrid workers must be nurtured, including through the creation of a healthy home office environment. Though there’s much to consider, with such care and planning, the transition to a hybrid model can be seamless and imminently successful. 

3 tips if you’re experiencing employee re-classification in Colorado

COVID-19 has caused many conflicts for Colorado businesses that have been largely unpreventable and also unavoidable. However, with advance notice and planning, the risk of litigation related to employee reclassification may be avoided.

In Colorado, many business owners are seeing transitions in their employee statuses as COVID-19 forces reimagined working environments. An increase in hiring contract, part-time, and freelance workers is being seen across many industries to save on wages and benefits while the economy recovers.

According to a new study by Upwork, 2 million Americans have started freelancing in the past 12 months.

If you are a business owner considering re-classification, or hiring a new type of workforce, consulting a business attorney to ensure your ducks are in a row may be the best first step.

Below are 3 hot tips to bear in mind as you shift elements of your employment structure that could help to ward off litigation and may keep your workforce happy.

1. Consider Focusing Efforts on Keeping Employees Whole

Reclassification to non-exempt status could raise questions and concerns with your employees. Addressing these concerns early may be your best bet when avoiding potential litigation. The three elements that could keep your employees “whole” are salary, health insurance, and PTO (or paid time off).

Salary

When you make the decision to re-classify employees it could mean you weren’t able to raise their salary. However, in order to try to prevent potential litigation, it may be crucial that this decision does not result in a pay cut for your employees. Opportunities for additional pay could be a good way to boost morale, as well as outlining the steps you are taking to ensure employees are receiving the same take-home pay they had before the reclassification.

Health Insurance

Health insurance is a necessity in today’s society. It is crucial that you assure your employees they will still have access to health insurance with the reclassification. Relay to your employees that under the Affordable Care Act, employees are still eligible for coverage as long as they are working a minimum of 30 hours per week. Having concrete answers and facts to back them up may help you to retain trust and openness with your employees.

PTO

Losing perks like PTO can be detrimental to the relationship you have with your employees. Your PTO policy determines whether a reclassified employee will retain these benefits. Revisiting your policy to ensure the PTO is applied to exempt and non-exempt status employees may create trust with your employees. Ensuring that all of your employees have access to these benefits could deter potential litigation.

2. Consider Keeping Communication Open and Honest

Your employees may confuse reclassification with demotion. Ensuring your employees that this change is happening to comply with government regulations and is not a reflection of them as an individual or their work could help you to ensure trust continues in the employer-employee relationship. Within this new status, an easy way to avoid litigation can be to require liability insurance from freelancers. Allowing your employee to name you on the policy may continue the fostering of trust.

Transparency may be the most important aspect of reclassification. Open and honest communication can ensure that your employees are not hearing rumors around the office and believing misinformation. Building on the trust you have with your employees and having these open conversations, either through individual or office-wide meetings, may only strengthen these relationships and could help you to avoid litigation in the future.

3.Consider Highlighting the Benefits of the New Status 

Reclassification could be a positive change in many circumstances. Overtime pay may be a huge incentive. The guidelines, such as whether OT pay is available or limited, should be clearly laid out to your employees. Using a time-tracking reporting system may reduce confusion and could make it easier on you and your employees when identifying inefficiencies and tracking your labor costs.

Reclassification may also result in more time off or flexibility within one’s schedule. If overtime costs are limited, there may be less pressure on employees to stay late or work outside of the office. Knowing and understanding the parameters could lead to better work-life balance for your employees – which they may thank you for.

Developing a business contract with a qualified attorney that outlines the agreement between your business and your newly reclassified employees could be essential to the management of data, information and the employment relationship. A business attorney may be able to assist entrepreneurs who are creating new employment approaches avoid litigation and safeguard their assets with their knowledge of the relevant systems. Consulting an attorney before reclassifying may be your best defense against litigation due to reclassification.

Ellie Lockwood is a preeminent female commercial and business litigation attorney in the Denver Metro area with experience in commercial litigation and business disputes, intellectual property litigation, and environmental and natural resource litigation. She is the commercial litigation practice group leader for Snell & Wilmer L.L.P.’s Denver office, and an instant resource to business owners and other legal professionals on risk mitigation strategies throughout the Mountain West.

6 tips for staying connected in today’s remote business environment

We are officially into the new work from home reality and have to face that things may never go back to the standard office ecosystem.

As I talk to various clients around the country, leaders are working hard to manage the “people part” of business in this remote environment. With video conference after video conference and teams often geographically dispersed, many are feeling like it’s just not the same.

So how do we find ways to connect with teams and employees as human beings and re-imagine collaboration, communication and connection? We need to be creative and chart out new approaches to everything from onboarding employees to performance reviews and water cooler chats. Here are six ideas on how to re-imagine and maximize these systems for business today.

Hiring

Hiring new employees is certainly a tougher task in a remote environment versus in-person interviews, but it can be done and will likely continue to be a new standard.

According to a recent LinkedIn report, “81% of talent professionals say virtual recruiting will outlast COVID-19.” I recommend developing an interview guide with standardized questions used across interviewers to compare and contrast candidates.

Consider including some lighter questions or being creative with the interview process to help create more of that human connection and give both the candidate and business owner or hiring manager more confidence in the decision-making process.

Leveraging an outside resource who can offer objective feedback on candidates can be a worthwhile investment and far less than the cost of hiring the wrong person for the job.

Onboarding

A deliberate onboarding plan is more critical than ever in the current business environment. Helping new hires navigate the work environment, when millions are working from home, is even more critical today to ensuring engagement and ongoing success.

Companies I work with have found it helpful to schedule 1:1 calls for new hires with a variety of stakeholders inside the company to help them get acquainted with the framework and personalities within the organization in the first few days or weeks on the job.

Leveraging structured questions for these 1:1 sessions with the new hire will help them start to uncover and understand expectations, team dynamics, culture and begin building relationships, even if the team is working remotely.

Assigning a mentor or one to two key people in other parts of the organization to check-in with the new employee on a number of occasions during the first 30 days can help create that sense of connection and purpose. This can be as simple as an email, text message or hand-written note.

Engagement

The feeling of being spread too thin is a common challenge for many employees in the workforce today. Add in the additional duties and distractions of kids who may be learning remotely, new policies or team dynamics, and it becomes especially important for leaders to initiate and maintain 1:1 check-ins with their employees or team members and to set aside some time to just hear how they are doing.

Simultaneously, leaders need to find their own outlets to ideate, discuss challenges and share. In the book The Power of Full Engagement, authors James E. Loehr and Tony Schwartz talk about managing energy and the importance of self-care and care of others to help everyone stay in the game. A peer group, networking discussion or call with another entrepreneur can offer support in these times.

Development

Don’t shelve your leadership development initiatives until the pandemic passes. People are hungry for growth and development right now.

Revamping or initiating leadership development opportunities within your organization will show your employees that they are relevant and important to the organization whether you employ three people or three thousand.

Think of it as an investment in your organization, as well as the individual, as development helps increase peer relationships, improves culture and helps build confident leaders who can navigate the increasing complexity of business today.

Performance Reviews & Feedback

Structure and advance preparation are key to any performance review or assessment, but especially in today’s remote or distanced work environment.

Ask employees to do a self-assessment prior to their review to offer feedback and help leadership gage and reconcile gaps in perceptions. This can help both people prepare for the discussion with some level of introspection and self-awareness.

In times like these, it can feel as if we have stopped some of our forward progress so the gift of feedback allows someone to continue developing and growing, which is a basic human need, and critical for organization development, culture and team building.

Water Cooler Chats

What I hear most from clients is missing the days of causal office conversation—stopping by someone’s office for a quick chat or meeting in the break room around the coffee pot.

Today, when every conversation seems like it requires a 30-minute video call, I encourage clients to have some part of each day unscheduled for meetings and to use that time to pick up the phone and see how someone in the organization is doing. The result will be deeper connectivity and communication that we are seeking more than ever today.

 Mary Kaiser has over 30 years of consulting and coaching expertise developing leaders, teams and organizations. Her passion is helping people understand their strengths and inner mindsets to overcome obstacles and achieve positive outcomes in both their personal and professional life. Reach Mary at [email protected] or connect at www.marybkaiser.com.