Is remote working the way forward?

With the uncertainty of the current pandemic we can only assume that remote working will be the drive for most companies, for the remainder of 2020 and 2021. With major companies like Google, Facebook and Twitter announcing their staff will be working remotely into July 2021 and maybe beyond, it is only a matter of time before smaller business get on board and follow suit.

Allowing employees to work from home has many benefits for both the company and the employees. Benefits such as:

• Lower cost- Cost is saved by both the employee (petrol, lunch) and the employer (fees associated with running an office).

• Builds trust – between employer and employee as employees get to work autonomously, while still meeting deadlines and targets.

• Employee wellness improves – Remote working gives employees peace of mind especially during the current crisis we are facing, it also allows them to meet family obligations such as: childcare, parent care or family concerns.

• Increase in productivity – Employees will commit to getting the work done, as they are not being monitored. They will feel compelled to show they are being productive.

• Lower employee turnover – Less interactions with persons of different personality types, which is normal in an office setting. Employees will feel less stressed as they are able to get on with their day job.

• Less time commuting – This speaks for itself. Commuting can sometimes be an awful experience which can ruin a person’s morning before work starts. With this out of the way, persons can begin the day in a much more relax mood.

• Can access data from anywhere – Data is right at their fingertips. From any computer in the world, they can logon to the network and sign in.

• Cloud and online technology and the ease of use – As all information is in the cloud, sharing and accessing information by all members within the department is now central and easily accessible.

Working from home does have some disadvantages:

• Brick and mortar stores/companies will see a decrease in profit as everything will be done online and persons will not need to go into the store/office.

• Persons who cannot work from home will still need to commute to go to the office.

• Businesses who rent office space- They will also be hit hard by the decision of employees working from home as fewer people will be renting.

• Communication – This may get lost between employees, can create misunderstandings and tensions.

• Higher security risk – as persons may be able to download something which is not secure and upload it to the network.

• Lack organisation culture/activities – Working at home can get lonely after some time, this may affect performance negatively in the long run as there is no community spirit.

• Low productivity – Employees not fulfilling their duties and obligations as they have no one to monitor productivity.

We think employees should be given the choice of being allowed to work from home sometimes. Maybe a 50/50 opportunity of going into the office and working from home. This will increase employee morale and shine a light on the company as one who cares. As this lock-down has been hard on us all, both emotionally and mentally, allowing employees who can work from the comfort of their home to do so, would make a huge impact on their well-being.

The questions now are, is the use of cloud technologies here to stay? A worker having the ability to logon from anywhere in the world and still get their work done – is this the new norm? Can remote working be the new “it” thing?

Click the link to find out about our Remote Working services.