Until now, many people have thought that remote workers were lucky. After all, they could make their own hours, stay in their pajamas, juggle housework (or homework) and avoid commuting. Professionals who have worked remotely in the past will be quick to tell you, however, that it can be downright lonely. Remote workers may have more flexibility, but they miss the coworkers, the camaraderie, the conversation — and the coffee breaks.

Today, more of us are working remotely across virtual teams than ever before in order to help protect and strengthen our communities. At Skillsoft, we’re helping customers adjust and navigate this strange new world by hosting virtual “coffee breaks,” where we can get together to network and share tips, tricks, tools and challenges from our individual remote workplaces.

And these coffee breaks, we’ve found, are quickly becoming a necessity. People are not only working longer hours and trying to accomplish more, but are doing so while managing the competing demands of work and home life. In fact, a new report from NordVPN Teams indicates a two-hour increase to the global average workday.

No wonder we all need a break!

While it’s early days, the coffee breaks have been well-received. People are eager to connect — especially those who are sheltering alone — and chat with each other.

Interested in hosting your own coffee break? Utilize the tools found in this zip file to host your own! And if you do host one, let me know how it goes or invite me to join! As you know from my previous blog, while I love my new co-workers, I’m eager for conversation that doesn’t involve work or haggling over bedtime.

Step 1: Grab the coffee break logo and personalize it.

Step 2: Identify your list of attendees and schedule a 30-minute ‘break’ using the technology of your choice (WebEx, Zoom or FaceTime).

Step 3: Host your event! Use the conversation starters provided in the toolkit to guide your coffee break chat.

Visit this zip file to download your toolkit — and don’t forget the coffee!

Don’t forget to register for Perspectives 2020, a global digital experience that will run live across four continents for 24 hours. It’s completely free and available to all!