Many business owners were unexpectedly faced with the prospect of moving from the office to the home environment following the COVID-19 pandemic. Although this was undeniably stressful at first and likely led to some mistakes and growing pains, enough time has passed for many of us to adjust to this new normal. The reality is that many Americans will likely be working from home for some time still, and for a lot of business owners this is going to mean answering the question of whether or not their new workspaces will become more permanent.
While transitioning to the home office may have initially presented some challenges, it could be a good move for the foreseeable future in the cases of some businesses. For that matter, networking and security solutions have adapted to the point that working from home is simpler and more secure than it ever was before. Audio video solution providers have made progress in creating communications systems that keep offices more connected before. But the move towards home offices is about more than just matching work performances in a traditional office setting. There are actually benefits that come with working from home. Let’s explore some of them below.
1. Safety
Safety is obviously the main benefit of working from home; that is the reason why people began teleworking, after all. Although a vaccine was recently approved, the pandemic is far from over. It will be months before the majority of the American population has been effectively inoculated against the virus.
Furthermore, on a more general level it’s safer for people to work from home. COVID-19 is not the only harmful virus that can be spread in an office setting. In general, we are more likely to go to work while sick rather than taking a sick day, which leads to the spread of disease. Anyone who has a compromised immune system should therefore be working from home in general. If there’s one thing we’ve learned from COVID-19, it’s that we should take advantage of the technology given to us by an audio video solution provider and work from home if we don’t want to fall ill.
2. Cost Efficiency
In order to maintain an office, business owners often must rent office spaces. Furthermore, they need to keep it stocked with office furniture and bulky desktops and traditional on premise phone systems. Office managers and security guards need to be kept on payroll, and cleaning services typically must be contracted as well. The reality is that this can lead to quite a bill, compared to what business owners would pay audio video solution providers for teleworking technology.
The fact is that a lot of businesses are going to take some time to financially recover from the impact of COVID-19. By cutting down office space and equipment costs, employers can redirect their funds to recovery and paying their employees a proper wage. Although 82% of employees report that workplace technology does affect their employment decisions, the technology offered by audio video solution providers has progressed to the point that many employees can make calls and handle their everyday responsibilities without issue. In some cases, employees are actually working more effectively.
3. Connectivity
In many ways, a teleworking office is actually a more connected office. While it can be disruptive for employees to ask each other questions or approach their bosses in a typical office setting, teleworking makes individual questions and conversations simpler.
Rather than pulling your coworker aside for a conversation about a project, you can simply use audio visual technology like Zoom to teleconference with them. While email and chats are still available, teleconferencing, in particular, keeps an office connected and if anything makes people more accessible.
4. Record-Keeping
It’s easier than ever to keep records of what is happening and what is being discussed in a workplace. Emails can be referenced; Zoom meetings can be recorded. Employers can even check how long their employees were logged in at the office. The workplace is more transparent than ever before.
As an employer, you may not have expected to establish a teleworking office. But by making the most of it, you could potentially further your business in the long term.