When countless users migrated from established office environments to kitchen tables and cramped spare rooms, there was at first a collective sigh of relief from many. Employees could counterbalance work-life pressures with ten minutes of playtime with the kids or a stroll around the garden.
However, cracks are beginning to show in the work-from-anywhere (WFA) trend almost two years on from this mass exodus. Many people miss the water cooler catch-ups, company-wide events, and the feelings of camaraderie that only come with teamwork.
As a result, burnout, mental fatigue, loneliness, and other work-related mental health issues are becoming more prevalent. Several factors contribute to this, like more meetings, more often, and at times when employees would usually be on the way home.
Beyond this, many people struggle to know when to switch off and leave the workday behind them. Collectively, issues regarding the shift to remote work are fueling work-based problems. While specific mechanisms and procedures are being developed in Web 2.0 environments to counteract these issues, they are nothing compared to what’s possible in the Metaverse.
More Than Face-to-Face
Current WFA comms solutions, most notably video conferencing platforms like Zoom, enable team members to talk face-to-face. However, as well as being a relatively intrusive means of communication whereby the user is consistently observed, they can also be isolating, as users are sometimes uncomfortable with this direct approach and struggle to be heard.
In the Metaverse, solutions such as Microsoft’s Mesh for Teams enable a far more natural communication channel. As well as being represented as avatars, users can feel included in the same space. A shared, collaborative workplace enables them to escape from isolated work environments and collaborate more naturally with their peers.
Breakout Spaces
The Metaverse also provides options for one-to-one conversations and breakout spaces where employees can talk business privately while still operating in a collaborative environment. Beyond this, the Metaverse will offer experiences to remote teams to enjoy collectively.
For example, in a few clicks, a team could transport themselves to a virtual activity space where they can work on team-building projects or enjoy shared experiences—perhaps an afternoon scaling a virtual Eiffel Tower?
Re-establishing a Work-Life Balance
If the Metaverse is to replicate the physical office experience, then it’s possible to introduce the same structured working hours nonremote teams have become accustomed to. Of course, there will be logistical issues in terms of regulating time zones, but once various structures are in place, companies could limit access to online office spaces.
For example, organizations could grant access based on IP addresses, which would mean organizations could bar users from entering shared Metaverse spaces after hours. Installing a clear start and finish to a workday is one of the most important ways to combat many work-related mental health issues, and the Metaverse could provide a clear, simple solution to achieve this.
Although the possibilities in Metaverse environments are endless, they don’t necessarily have to reinvent the wheel; creating a digital twin of existing office spaces is also an option. We have commented how some companies have missed a trick by creating Metaverse spaces that so mirrored traditional office environments they lacked excitement. However, from a mental health perspective, if a company could create multiple Metaverse workspaces, including one that represented the existing physical office, this may help users transition more fluidly into the distributed team model.
Beyond the Metaverse, I’ll be discussing how WFA apps can help streamline your distributed teams to thrive at Cloud Wars Expo next month. See you there?
Want to compete in the Metaverse? Subscribe to the My Metaverse Minute Channel:
