Have you ever wondered how your remote employees are really doing—not just with work, but with everything else?
Only 21% of remote workers strongly agree that their employer cares about their well-being, according to Gallup. That leaves a large majority feeling unsure or unsupported, even when they're hitting deadlines and showing up to meetings.
Supporting remote employee wellbeing isn’t about grand gestures. It’s about consistent, meaningful actions that show your team you’re in their corner, wherever they’re working from.
Why Remote Employee Wellbeing Needs a Different Approach
A quick message reply. A camera-off meeting. A missed check-in. These things might seem small—but for remote employees quietly struggling, they can be signs of something deeper.
Remote work isn’t just a change in location—it’s a shift in how people experience their jobs, their teams, and even themselves. Without hallway conversations or casual desk chats, it’s easier for someone to feel isolated or overlooked. The lines between work and home blur fast, and the pressure to “always be on” can wear people down before anyone notices.
That’s why it’s not enough to apply in-office wellbeing strategies to remote teams. Supporting remote employee wellbeing means leading with more intention, more empathy, and more creativity. It’s about noticing what’s unsaid, checking in when things feel off, and creating a space where people feel safe to speak up.
Managers may not always have the answers, but they do have influence. A small shift in how you connect, support, and lead can make a big difference in helping your remote team feel seen, valued, and cared for.
Key Areas Where Managers Can Make a Difference
Remote employee wellbeing isn’t something you can fix with a single wellness initiative or occasional check-in. It’s built through consistent, everyday actions that show employees their wellbeing matters. Here are the areas where your leadership can make the biggest impact.
🗣️Fostering Strong Communication
For remote teams, strong communication isn’t just helpful—it’s essential. Without face-to-face interactions, misunderstandings can build, and people can start to feel disconnected or unsure of where they stand.
Make space for meaningful check-ins that go beyond tasks. Ask open-ended questions, really listen, and show your team they’re heard and supported. Clear, kind communication helps reduce stress, build trust, and create the kind of openness that’s vital to support remote employee wellbeing.
💡 Small, consistent communication builds a strong foundation for trust—and trust is essential to support remote employee wellbeing.
🙌Recognizing and Valuing Efforts
When your team works remotely, their wins often happen off-screen. Without the visibility of an office environment, it’s easy for great work to go unnoticed, which can lead to disengagement over time.
Make it a habit to call out accomplishments, both big and small. Whether it's a shout-out in a team meeting, a quick thank-you in a message, or a more personalized note, these moments of recognition help people feel seen. And when people feel valued, they’re more likely to stay motivated and connected.
💡 Recognition doesn’t need to be grand—it just needs to be genuine.
🤝Creating Space for Connection
Remote work can be productive, but it can also be lonely. Employees still need human connection to thrive, even if they’re not sharing the same space.
Encourage casual interactions through virtual coffee chats, buddy pairings, or team bonding activities. Tools like CoffeePals can make it easy to create structured but informal ways for people to connect, especially across departments. These moments of connection help build belonging, which is key to long-term wellbeing.
💡 People don’t just want to feel productive—they want to feel part of something.
🕰️Respecting Boundaries and Encouraging Balance
Without a commute or clear office hours, remote employees often struggle to disconnect. The pressure to be available at all times can lead to burnout, even when it’s unintentional.
As a manager, you set the tone. Encourage your team to take breaks, use their time off, and log off at reasonable hours. Avoid sending late-night messages or scheduling back-to-back meetings. When you respect boundaries, your team will feel more empowered to do the same for themselves.
💡 Work-life balance isn’t a perk—it’s a basic requirement for sustainable performance.
🧠Providing Access to Mental Health Resources
Support doesn’t stop at check-ins and shout-outs. Sometimes, your team needs more—and that’s okay. The key is making sure they know help is available.
Share information about mental health resources often, not just during awareness months. Whether it’s an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), wellness app, or virtual therapy sessions, normalize using these tools. You can also bring in speakers or host optional wellbeing workshops to start the conversation.
💡 You don’t need to have all the answers—just make sure your team knows where to find them.
Tools and Programs That Help Support Remote Employee Wellbeing
Supporting remote employee wellbeing doesn’t have to be complicated—you just need the right tools in your corner. These programs can help you foster connection, reduce stress, and promote a healthier, more engaged team culture.
☕ CoffeePals
CoffeePals helps remote teams build genuine connections through automated virtual coffee chats on Slack and MS Teams. It pairs employees across departments or teams for casual conversations that foster trust, inclusion, and a stronger sense of belonging.
Managers can use CoffeePals to run low-effort programs like peer mentoring, onboarding buddies, or leadership meetups—making it easier to support remote employee wellbeing without adding to their workload.
💡 Sometimes, a simple conversation over coffee is all it takes to help someone feel seen and supported.
🧘 For Mental Health and Wellness
- Headspace for Work: Offers guided meditations, mindfulness exercises, and sleep tools tailored for workplace use.
- Calm Business: Provides stress-reduction resources, including meditation, breathing techniques, and sleep stories.
- Modern Health: Combines therapy, coaching, and self-guided programs to support mental wellness at scale.
📬 For Feedback and Emotional Check-ins
- Officevibe: Sends out anonymous pulse surveys to gather insights on team morale and engagement.
- Lattice: Helps track employee engagement and feedback with built-in tools for performance reviews and surveys.
- TinyPulse: Allows you to send quick, anonymous check-ins to stay informed about employee satisfaction.
🗓️ For Scheduling and Balance
- Clockwise: Automatically blocks focus time and optimizes meeting schedules to prevent burnout.
- Google Calendar Focus Time: Lets you reserve time for deep work to help maintain work-life balance.
- Slack Workflow Builder: Create reminders for stretch breaks, hydration, or end-of-day wrap-ups to encourage healthier habits.
💡 The right tools don’t replace human connection—they help make it easier and more consistent.
Small Actions, Big Impact
Supporting remote employee wellbeing doesn’t require grand programs or expensive perks. What truly matters are the small, thoughtful actions managers take every day—the quick check-in, the recognition message, the flexibility offered when someone’s having a tough week.
Consistency is more powerful than perfection. When your team knows they can count on you to care, listen, and lead with empathy, it builds trust—and trust is the foundation of a thriving remote culture.
Start small, stay human, and keep showing up. That’s how you make a lasting impact.
Ready to learn more about supporting your remote team members? Read this next: How to Promote Effective Time Management in Remote Teams
