Remote Working: It's Not As Scary As You Think

Worldwide, as the COVID-19 coronavirus holds entire countries in its grip, employers and employees are having to confront the prospect of remote working. For many workers, that's normal business but for the vast majority of businesses and their staff, it's a completely new concept. Whilst remote working is not possible for a great number of people, for others it is, although not something they would ever have considered they'd need to do.  

We've all watched as notifications of events being cancelled are broadcast across social media. Be it business, sport or leisure, on a local or a national level, without doubt we have all felt the impact. As we all struggle to come to terms with these unprecedented times, there is light on the horizon.   

This week in the UK, schools will close, as has already happened in Italy, adding yet more pressure to employers and employees. Businesses want to continue to operate; people want to continue to work. Enter remote working; and it really is not as scary as you might think. The technology is out there ready and waiting for you.  

The remote working trend   

Remote working, or more commonly known as working from home, isn't a new concept. It's been around for a long time and has been changing the global workspace. It's not slowing down either and the coronavirus outbreak is only increasing the need, and demand, for remote working. Indeed, a report published by Zapier.com in 2019 showed that around 74% of employees would rather have a job that offered remote working. However, being in a situation where working from home is forced upon you, as with COVID-19, dealing with the prospect is another matter entirely.

Shifting to remote working is not all roses though. Even major corporations, such as KPMG, Unilever and Ford, who already have some employees working remotely are finding it a challenge to have the majority of their staff working from home. Lloyds of London have closed their underwriting room for the first time in its 330-year history. Many businesses are going above and beyond to provide flexible and full remote working, including subsidising the cost of broadband, phone lines and mobiles. There's even been a shortage of laptops as businesses bulk buy for workers who normally use a desktop in the office. One thing is for sure, the coronavirus impact on remote working is extensive and will be long-lasting.   

Head of the Chartered Management Institute, Ann Francke, calls it unprecedented. "It may change the workplace forever," she added. "Everyone will need to embrace a different sort of workplace behaviour."  

Alan Jope, CEO of Unilever had this message: "I am acutely aware that these changes to our working arrangements will have a big impact on our lives. These are unprecedented times… stay safe, stay well, and take care."  

The technology is out there   

Some employees will see an upside to working from home, mainly those that are technology-minded. However, there will be many that are not as able with online platforms and video conferencing. They will need time to adapt to not only a change in working conditions and new routines, but also to new technological capabilities. There are a plethora of technology tools to help people to work remotely, and effectively.   

There are also platforms that enable businesses and corporations to continue to host events remotely, such as our Discussion Box platform. Here are some excellent tools that employers and employees can use to work from home:  

1. Zoom- great for video conferencing/chats. 
2. Zenefits - a popular HR dashboard. 
3. Timetastic - an HR tool that records time off, holidays and enables time tracking. 
4. Slack and WhatsApp - ideal for instant messaging.    
5. Dropbox and Dropbox Paper - real time collaboration with teams. 
6. Trello - an excellent platform for settings tasks, monitoring progress and transparency. 
7. Calendly - good for planning meetings. 
8. MyHours - time tracking for projects and tasks.    
9. Skype - messaging and video conferencing. 
10. WeTransfer - simple and easy-to-use file/photo transfer. 
11. Discussion Box - a virtual online event platform for conferences, seminars and other events.  

There are plenty of other platforms; carry out some research before you decide. Many major corporations worldwide also have their own online platforms that remote workers are able to login to and adopt.   

Advantages and disadvantages of remote working   

For workers that aren't used to working from home, yes, there are disadvantages and it's not for everybody; even though people are being forced into it at the moment. Isolation and a lack of 'connection' with colleagues can be a problem and with that comes less visibility. Staff will often miss the interaction not only with fellow workers, but also their managers. With the added impact of schools closing and children at home, the ideal work/life balance could become an issue; and where do you draw the line between work and home life? So, how can you make working from home work for you?  

• Establish a routine and stick to it! Get up at same time you would to go into the office, get dressed and work your normal standard hours. Keeping to the routine enables a stable environment and provides a good work/life balance.
• Focus on energy, not time. When working from home, it's easier to become so focused on how much time your spending working, you forget to take those all-important breaks! Take your coffee break, have lunch; without energy, your productivity levels go down. Work out when you have the most energy and focus on that time, take breaks and replenish your energy levels.
• Communicate and collaborate in a virtual world. Just because you're working from home doesn’t mean that all communication stops, it doesn't. Communicate and collaborate with work colleagues, chat to your managers, video call your teammates. If you're feeling lonely, pick up the phone, make a Skype call, message via WhatsApp.

At Discussion Box, we really believe that businesses worldwide are able to remain productive in these unprecedented times. We are and always will be committed to delivering content that is focused on the issues and conundrums that businesses are facing today. Our online events, be it a roundtable, product launch, seminar, interview, business announcements and updates, or any sort of event where information and knowledge needs to be shared, are streamed in real time to a live audience.    

We provide the perfect opportunity to impart key knowledge and information, valuable insights, best practices and real life experiences worldwide, exchanging information with a network of highly regarded business leaders across many different industries, including banking and finance, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, food and beverage, government, legal, fashion and apparel, automotive, education, pharmaceuticals and energy.   

Working as worldwide communities, we will come through the COVID-19 pandemic. Our thoughts are with you; stay safe; we’re in this together!