It seems obvious to say that keeping in touch with people working from home is important, but it’s easy to end up with losing contact without realising it. “Out of sight is out of mind” is very true when so much of conventional daily contact in the workplace has now disappeared.

Now you are faced with people working from home you need to find different ways of communicating, not just for issuing work instructions but for all the other information they might be missing. Your staff are probably feeling isolated and insecure, concerned about their own health, so now’s the time to be supportive and understanding. Ask how they are, show concern for their situation and be flexible to accommodate their needs.

You might want to have a regular conference call or maybe video meeting with all the team, but is there a time that will work for everyone? People with children and no childcare arrangements may have difficulty meeting in normal working hours. You may have to spend more time in one-to-one conversations at times that work for individuals.

Some people are able to get on with work on their own without you needing to be in daily contact. Other’s need regular encouragement. Adapt how you communicate to the individual and take time to listen sensitively to how they are coping in these unsettling times.