The forced work-from-home scenario may have set a long-term precedent.
Even after we’re allowed to go back to our physical office locations, we all will have to decide if we want to go back.
During this work-from-home “trial”, if I may, many have found that productivity has held steady with our employees working from home.
There are many reasons a business may choose to continue the work-from-home option:
1. Sustainability –
You have probably seen the before and after pictures of cities where the pollution levels have drastically reduced once folks were mandated to work from home. Save the Planet! This may be your motivation to have some, if not all, your employees continue to work from home.
2. Employee retention –
It can be seen as a great benefit for employees to have the flexibility to take care of children, disabled or elderly family members and not have to pay for before/after school or in-home care.
3. Reduced office expenses –
You may be able to reduce your office lease square footage, utilities, property insurance costs etc.
But what about your technology?
Does your office have hardware (servers, switches etc.) to process your office technology? How have your at-home workers been accessing this hardware?
Cloud computing (the ability to store, manage and process data via the internet) solves a lot of these issues and reduces your dependence on computing hardware.
The virtual aspect of cloud computing makes it much easier to maintain than physical hardware-based systems, especially in a remote environment.
Also, as remote work becomes more prevalent, companies need to make sure they have methods to loan and monitor work equipment, as well as track employee productivity.
Consideration of equipment and practices not only includes computers, monitors and other hardware, but also how to treat critical files.
For example, an employee forgetting to back up important company files risks those files being lost if the computer is damaged. That would put an emphasis on companies needing to have a solid system in place to synchronize and back up digital files remotely.
There are several ways that this all can be managed. We have many tips to assist you in making sure your business and employees have the right tools in place to insure your business never misses a beat and stays productive, secure and profitable. Let us know when you would like to connect to discuss your individual business needs.