Working From Home, with the coronavirus crisis, many people found that they had to work from home. Initially this may have been quite a shock to the system. Many companies have found some surprising efficiencies in this approach. These efficiencies not only applied to the business in general but also to the individual worker.
Twitter has recently announced that post COVID19, home working will continue indefinitely. Don’t think this option applies only to large companies. Small companies with even 2 or 3 employees can benefit greatly by investing in permanent teleworking.
Well Researched
There have been many studies going back as far as 2000 about working from home and how it affects efficiency and individual welfare. It has become very clear that the benefits are substantial to both parties even before the coronavirus crisis.
You might think that the phenomenon of working from home known as teleworking is a new one. The research goes back nearly 20 years with studies being carried out all around the world.
Studies from 20 years ago can’t consider is modern software and hardware available today but the principles are extremely well established.
They have been refined over the years and introduction of better internet we are now in the era of making all the studies a much more viable option.
The research supports that there are significant benefits and of course some downsides which must be considered.
However, overall, when properly implemented, advantages outweigh the disadvantages for both employers, employees and society.
The environment benefits as well.
From an Employer´s Perspective
The big advantage for employers is that overall, people are more productive. A report published in Inc.com showed that staff worked 1.6 days more every month but there are also hidden advantages.
You need less office space so lower rent, less electricity and people don’t get caught in traffic on the way to work.
Of course, there are some downsides, the biggest being the cost of setting it up.
Staff need to be trained how to do it and there are costs in ensuring staff have good internet and the right equipment.
There are also costs on the business side for ensuring security (VPNs, GDPR) and making sure backups are done centrally. You may even need to invest in a centralise Customer Relation Database (CRM) and a Virtual PBX phone system.
From an Employee´s Perspective
Studies have shown that on the whole employees find that working from home gives them a better work life balance. Often, they can integrate important family issues that occur during the day into their workday. Working from home gives them that flexibility.
Many employees view the commute to work as work time. An unexpected advantage is that employees report less distractions and are better able to focus and concentrate on the tasks at hand which means they can get through their work quicker.
What they do miss however is the social interactions and this is why it’s important for employees to recognise the need to hold regular team meetings over the phone or by video conference and not just rely on messages and emails to communicate .
Society as a Whole
Most people drive to work it’s why we have the rush hour. But if you can take a major percent of those cars off the road pollution is reduced significantly and we have recently seen the wonderful pictures of major cities without the polluted atmosphere above them. This is of course much better for the health of the population. Employees get to spend more family time and enjoy greater flexibility to balance work with life.
APPs you might Need
Video conferencing such as WhatsApp, zoom or Skype and even Team collaboration software such as Microsoft Teams and even Google’s G-Suite are all great options and user friendly. It still gives me a kick when I’m editing a spreadsheet at the same time as a colleague is in the next town in real time.
How Telitec can Help You
Many businesses approached us during the crisis and have asked us for assistance in setting up home workers.
In many cases all that was required was a better Internet connection.
Throughout the crisis we have been installing fibre which is the perfect solution. Businesses suddenly needed more phones and SIM cards and of course we were able to respond immediately.
Witha ¨virtual PBX¨re-route your incoming calls to your home workers. This means, your clients, still call your office number.
There’s no hardware involved but it does require setting up and maintenance.
Beyond that we have specialists who can help you with such things as VPNs servers and recommending and installing the right software systems. we can help you set up backup protocols to ensure your data is safe whilst complying with GDPR (General Data Protection Regulations).
A work from home strategy, for many businesses, provides a saving to be enjoyed.
The important thing is to do it properly and this is where Telitec comes in. If you would like more information and advice and help in moving to this model permanently please call us, we’re here to help and advise.
| To find the best internet in Spain and to find out how much internet is in Spain, then contact Telitec SL on 965 743 473 or by email sales@telitec.net or on Whatsapp |
