This has been a year of significant change, and the way that we live, work, shop, relax and mix with others has been impacted on a scale that many of us have never experienced before. The question to ask now is what this means for our future, and how we shape the way we will continue to work?
The pandemic, with lockdowns, furloughs and tiered levels of security across the UK, has led to a huge increase of home working – the latest statistics show that more than 60% of the UK’s adult population are currently working from home; that equates to 23.9 million home workers, an increase from the 1.52 million ten years ago – and a lot of the reason this is possible is the increase in technologies and communications tools available.
Setting up network communications, Cloud storage, shared access to data, video calling and instant communication via the internet has made it easier than ever for people to not only work from home but to deliver the same standard of work and expertise in that environment as they could in an office-based role.
Working From Home
We’ve enabled all of our clients to successfully work from home since the first lockdown. We are experts in Cloud and remote working space and have continued to support all our users successfully through the peaks and troughs of the pandemic. We have also implemented full Cloud-based infrastructure for our clients as lockdowns were enforced, and before the pandemic as well. Of all the packages that we offer, the Work From Home solution, tailored specifically for supporting the needs of a wide geographic user base is currently our most requested. It focuses on a safe and comfortable working environment, so everyone is given equal opportunity to work to the best of their ability.
You can find more about this service here
or call our team to ask how this solution could meet your current needs.
Though this huge increase in home working is a direct result of the pandemic, with lockdown and social distancing guidelines forcing the hands of many employees, we know that over 26% of Brits plan to continue working from home on a regular or permanent basis post-pandemic. The benefits of home working are reduced travel time and cost (the average worker saving £44.78 per week in commuting costs) and this more flexible time management is allowing for a better work/life balance, which people appreciate more than ever after the isolation of lockdown.
Preparation
Ensure that your employees can work from home in a comfortable and well-designed office space, with the equipment and ergonomic devices and seating to position people appropriately at their desks. Additionally, provide a network, Cloud solution and remote access to the information that they need to complete their work. This will not only save money on travel, but it also increases productivity, employee satisfaction, team communication and the autonomy that workers need to feel appreciated and trusted to perform their roles.
With this many benefits, it’s easy to understand why this home working set-up has proven so successful throughout the pandemic, and to see that the way we work and structure our lives around our jobs has been forever changed. For many who are currently seeking new employment, this access to home-working and flexible hours is a must, and this year of change has proven it can be successful on a huge scale for whole teams, so don’t shy away from recruiting for home-based workers to grow your team with lower overheads; the benefits could be very rewarding, for you and your employees alike.
If you want to support your team with a more effective, long-term home working solution, speak to our advisors today, and let us explore the best solutions to help your business thrive in this new, changed world. Call us on 0207 317 4535 or email us at [email protected].
