ad collaborative post // Due to the COVID-19 pandemic over the past year, businesses have had to make an unprecedented shift to remote working. To protect the health and safety of their employees, many businesses are now running on a remote basis, with employees working from home wherever possible.
Photo by Nikola Balic on Unsplash
Many companies have found the switch to remote working challenging, although for some, it has been easier than anticipated. In fact, some businesses have been so successful with the switch that they have decided to continue remote working into the future, even when it is no longer necessary for employee safety. So, what are some key things to know when running a business remotely?
Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity is a key factor to focus on when switching to a remote working model. When employees are working from home, they are often a bigger target for hackers and cybercriminals who may find it easier to infiltrate and gain access to data through home Wi-Fi networks compared to a secure workplace network.
Working with a specialized IT contractor with experience in remote working to put together strong policies for all employees to reduce the risk of hacking and cyberattacks is crucial. You also might want to consider a sky encrypted phone for extra safety within your communications.
Employee Safety
Although employees are working from home or other remote locations, it is still important for the business to ensure that they are safe when carrying out work. This is especially true in industries where remote workers may be engaging in work tasks that may be dangerous.
Regular refresher training and weekly safety meetings to ensure that everybody is up to date and on the same page when it comes to safety are recommended by entire businesses that focus on workplace safety.
Communication
For many companies that switched to remote working throughout the pandemic, changing the way that they communicate with employees and co-workers has been one of the biggest challenges. To successfully run a business remotely, it is important to ensure that communication is easy between individuals and teams, and that there is little chance of miscommunications.
Bear in mind that since employees are working remotely and on their own, it can be easier for things to get miscommunicated and there is a smaller chance of corrections compared to when employees are all working in the same building. Because of this, it is a wise idea to set up a form of communication that employees can use throughout the working day, such as Slack, to communicate with one another.
Resources
To successfully work remotely, you and your team will need to have the right resources to complete your tasks. When working from home, many employees may not have the right set-up for the job that they would be guaranteed in the workplace.
If your business is making the switch over to remote working as a result of COVID-19, it is your responsibility to ensure that all employees have what they need to work comfortably at home including office furniture and electronic equipment.
Updates
Finally, working remotely can be something that will take a while for everybody to adjust to. So, it’s important to make sure that everybody feels comfortable to suggest improvements to how things are done and regular meetings are arranged where the team can come together and discuss the experience so far.
If you are in the early stages of switching to a remote working model, it’s important to be flexible and open-minded as you find something that will work well for you and your team.
Today, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a huge uptake in remote working, which is set to change the workplace forever. If you are considering running your business remotely from now on, keep these tips in mind.
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