The outspread of coronavirus is an important global challenge. Organisations are turning to flexible and remote working as an ideal solution to prevent their staff from contracting and passing on coronavirus. It has essentially altered the way we live and work across the globe. Working from home reduces the risk of exposure to the virus significantly. Rather then commuting to the office every day where you come in contact with hundreds of people, you can stay in your home. Companies should be properly prepared for their staff to work from their homes.
This is of course not possible for all businesses and sectors, and there are a significant number of people who would be unable to work from home. For example, there is no clarity in what would happen if everyone was accessing broadband from multiple providers. High-speed broadband is not feasible for everybody, especially in rural areas. Some providers are working to expand their networks. For example, Vodafone has been producing several gigabit hubs in numerous rural areas. They have a partnership with Siro, which includes Skibbereen, Sligo, Drogheda, and Cavan. 15 hubs have been rolled out from this initiative, supporting remote working in towns in Ireland. However, this is not the case in many areas.
Is Remote Working Effective?
The US sales and trade agency workers discovered their output increased by 4.4% after a shift to remote working, according to the recent study of Harvard Business Review. A Chinese travel agency found that flexible working has increased the satisfaction of employees. Workers feel more comfortable and productive while working from home. They can fully concentrate on their business, creating their suitable environment.
While working from home, you can have a flexible schedule for your work. You can have relaxing periods in your job from time to time which often leads to an increase in productivity. You can spend quality time with your family as well. But remote working also has some drawbacks. You may have less communication and collaborating time with others. There can also be distractions within the home. Some people dislike working in the same place as where they live, and they don’t like to spend all their time in a single place.
People across the globe are currently having to work from home as cases of Coronavirus increase, and it has been welcomed by many who feel uncertain about going into their offices. There are many people already working from home. In the UK, more than 1.54 million people have adopted flexible working, from ten years ago a two-fold increase. In Japan, more than 3,000 companies are planning to introduce telecommuting to their workers, for coping with workloads. The Covid-19 outbreak is affecting economies and businesses across the globe. The way in which we work has been forced to evolve very quickly as a direct response to the pandemic.