This year’s pandemic has led to a huge surge in homeworking. Although many companies already had staff working from home, numbers were generally low. There are many reasons why businesses have been reluctant to move to a homeworking culture. There have been fears around the quality and safety of the technology as well as worries about managing and caring for staff remotely. Many employees have also resisted the change perhaps worrying about ‘being out of the loop’ or missing out on chances of promotion etc. But then the pandemic hit and everything changed almost overnight. Will being forced into working from home be the catalyst which changes views on homeworking forever?
Technology Barriers to Homeworking
Traditionally there has been a fear that the technology available at home is just not up to the job.
Speed of Access
Fragmented, interrupted or slow access to business systems can significantly reduce employee efficiency and result in a large degree of frustration.
Data Security
Homeworking extends the transit and storage of information outside of the corporate infrastructure with consequential risk.
Hardware Protection
Theft or loss of devices is also increased, with multiple devices in multiple locations and potentially multiple journeys, bringing with it the possible loss of user credentials and illegal access to business data.
Technology Breakthroughs
Fortunately, there have been a number of significant developments which have mitigated many of these fears
- Internet speeds have grown exponentially from an excruciatingly slow 56kbps dial up to 4G/5G and fibre optic broadband with speeds up to 300Mbps. Today, fast reliable broadband covers most of the UK eliminating any speed concerns.
- The National Cyber Security Centre provides clear guidelines and advice on how to best protect your business. From everything to do with hardware theft/loss right through to protection and management of data
- IT support companies can now offer businesses a range of IT services that will significantly benefit staff working from home: VoIP Phone Systems can provide free phone calls at home as well as in the office, a choice of secure cloud services (Office 365, email, antivirus, online backup) as well as video conferencing (Teams, Zoom) and file sharing. These services provide seamless, secure ways for staff to collaborate and work effectively from home.
Cultural & Social Barriers to Homeworking
The practice of ‘presenteeism’ is common in our culture. Employers often feel more in control of staff they can see even though they may not always be being productive. Other social and cultural factors play their part too.
- Marissa Mayer (CEO of Yahoo 2012-2017) created some controversy in 2013 when she forced employees back into the office in 2013 stating “Some of the best decisions and insights come from hallway & cafeteria discussions, meeting new people and impromptu team meetings”. Many would agree that there is still some merit to this statement.
- Human beings are social animals. The workplace provides an opportunity to meet and interact with others. This is generally good for our mental health. Issues caused by isolation and loneliness may become more prevalent as time goes on.
- It is more difficult to manage staff and monitor performance remotely.
- There are increased distractions and non-work related interruptions at home.
- Separating work and leisure time is more difficult. It is hard to fully switch off when your ‘office’ never closes. This can result in increasing levels of stress and anxiety.
Cultural & Social Advantages of Homeworking
However, there are many benefits to working from home
- A potential reduction in childcare costs for employees
- A wider pool of applicants since businesses can attract employees from further afield
- Widening access to work e.g. for disabled persons
- Reduced cost of office space; desks, chairs, heating, lighting etc.
- A reduced commute for employees. This is financially and environmentally advantageous and also reduces ‘commuter stress’.
- Greater flexibility for staff in terms of working patterns
Home Working – The Way Forward
Many businesses have already indicated they will not revert to the same business model as pre-pandemic. This is likely due to the successes of homeworking during ‘lockdown’. They will continue with this ‘new normal’ and fully embrace the benefits of staff working from home.
Other businesses see a hybrid approach as the optimum way forward. This may involve flexible work patterns with employees working from home a few days a week and in the workplace a few days a week.
Technology companies have also risen to the challenge and are evolving and developing new technologies to improve the working from home experience. They are offering ever faster, more reliable internet connections, improved and more secure hosted VOIP, as well as a range of new and improved cloud services.
There are clearly many social benefits to working from home and it seems that the technology is now available to make this a good option for many businesses. However, even if businesses are keen to move towards this new model, it is not yet clear if employees share this view. It will be interesting to be seen how many choose this option, once a normal return to the office is permitted.
DATA Computer Services provides professional IT support for businesses throughout Edinburgh and the Lothians. If you would like to find out more about our service, please get in touch or give us a call on 0131 657 1666