The amount of employees in Australia that are regularly working from home has been steadily increasing for years. However, with recent stay-at-home orders as a result of Covid-19, the number of people working from home increased exponentially. This left many employers scrambling to set up their IT systems for remote work, facing new challenges for cybersecurity, employee communications, and productivity.
Since the peak of the pandemic, as quarantine and lockdown restrictions have begun to ease nationwide, many businesses are choosing to continue to provide their employees with the option of working from home. In fact, a lot of job seekers are now specifically seeking out work that accommodates working from home, and failing to provide this option can significantly reduce the number and quality of applicants when hiring.
Tech Cover provides tailored IT management services to support businesses with remote workers. We will take care of all of your IT needs, from data storage and network security to user access and technical support, for a fraction of the cost of hiring an in-house IT team. Call us today on 1300 832 326 for expert advice and a quote.
5 Factors To Consider When Employing Remote Workers
As an employer, it can be advantageous to offer work from home options. However, there are a number of factors to consider for IT support when employing remote workers, including employee device security, home internet and network, communication and collaboration, remote workforce data protection, and remote IT support.
1) Employee Device Security
Most IT systems are designed for office use where all users and devices are connected to one secure network. However, for businesses with remote workers there are additional cyber security challenges.
Using personal devices to carry out company work from home introduces extra security risks as it is unlikely that your workers will have the latest cybersecurity software installed. Poor passwords and limited cyber security knowledge can also contribute to putting your business information at risk, leading to loss of productivity and revenue, and can even affect your business reputation.
One way to reduce the security risk with remote workers is to provide company-owned devices as you will have control over the security software used and can ensure that the latest security updates and patches have been installed.
Additionally, enforce the use of multifactor authentication and ensure that all employees are trained on remote security best practices to avoid preventable data breaches as a result of malware and phishing attacks.
If you’re concerned about the device security of your remote workers, talk to the experts at Tech Cover today on 1300 832 326. As your managed service provider, we will ensure that your devices are fortified against cyberthreats and can provide best practice cybersecurity tips and training for your team to reduce the risk of a data breach as a result of email scams and unsafe downloads.
2) Home Internet and Network
Another common problem businesses face when providing work from home options is the network infrastructure and home internet connections of remote workers. Unfortunately, household network equipment is not sufficient to handle the requirements of remote work, especially in homes with multiple people working remotely.
Common activities required for effective remote work, such as video conferencing and online collaboration, require high internet speeds and a stable connection. Low speed or inconsistent home internet can result in a significant reduction in employee engagement and productivity and can even disrupt other workers through delayed communication.
To minimise the impact of low quality home internet, advise your remote workers to plug their devices directly into an ethernet port instead of connecting wirelessly. If a wired connection is not possible, the next best thing is to ensure that your device is as close to the modem as possible when using a Wi-Fi connection.
Additionally, set up a secure virtual private network (VPN) for remote workers to use to protect your business information when accessed outside of the office.
3) Communication & Collaboration
One of the big differences when it comes to working remotely, compared to working in an office environment, is that communication between employees and teams is not as easy as simply walking to another desk or setting up a meeting in the conference room.
To ensure that you are getting maximum engagement and productivity from your remote workers, you will need to facilitate effective communication and collaboration. Finding the right communication tools for your business needs is essential in maintaining working relationships, collaboration, and information sharing.
Microsoft 365 is a popular solution for remote collaboration as it allows for easy document sharing with real-time collaboration, with a number of other communication tools available for instant messaging and video conferencing. Not only can these tools be used to enable workers to seamlessly collaborate with their colleagues, but providing the tools for face-to-face communication via video chat can also help to reduce the feeling of isolation often faced by employees working from home.
4) Remote Workforce Data Protection
With strict data protection and privacy regulations in Australia, ensuring the security of your business information is essential when employing remote workers. In fact, non-compliance with the Privacy Act 1988 can result in a fine of up to $2.1 million dollars.
Providing company-owned devices for all remote workers is a great way to reduce the risk of data breaches, as your IT team will be able to ensure that all devices are equipped with the necessary cybersecurity software to keep your business data safe.
Additionally, the use of cloud computing for data storage provides additional security with simple data backup and restoration processes to ensure that your business is prepared for a cyberattack. Managing user access to ensure that remote workers are only allowed access to necessary documents and information will further reduce the risk of unauthorised access to company data.
If you’re looking for a way to ensure that your business data is protected while employing remote workers, talk to Tech Cover today. Our comprehensive IT management services include data protection and network security protocols with regular analyses of your IT systems to identify and fix any vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.
5) Remote Tech Support
Employing remote workers has a number of benefits, however, it also comes with the added challenge of increased IT issues. This is particularly true for workers who have previously worked in the office and are now working from home, as they are likely to encounter new problems with their personal devices and network.
Inadequate IT support for remote workers can result in a significant loss in productivity and engagement. This increased demand for IT support can put a strain on your in-house IT staff, increasing wait times for other IT issues.
The best way to support your remote workers and empower them to be as productive as possible is through quick and secure IT support. Tech Cover offers reliable IT support for businesses with remote workers, providing quick-response troubleshooting to get your team back to work as quickly as possible.
For less than the price of employing a full-time IT manager, you can have our entire team of IT specialists at your disposal, providing expert advice and ongoing IT support when you need it. We can assist your workforce to ensure a smooth transition to remote work with minimal disruption to your business. Additionally, our IT management services include proactive cyber security and cloud management to keep your IT systems optimised, secure, and running smoothly.
IT Support For Remote Workers
There are many benefits to providing the option to work from home to your workforce, and in fact, many employees now expect to have that option as a result of our changed workforce since the pandemic. However, employing remote workers also comes with a number of new challenges.
In order to keep your business data secure and compliant with Australia’s privacy regulations, you will need to implement reliable cybersecurity protections with data backup and disaster recovery protocols in place. Additionally, adequate IT support is a must to enable your remote workers to remain engaged and productive, with seamless collaboration and team communication.
With over 22 years of industry experience, when it comes to providing reliable IT support for remote workers, Tech Cover has the solution. As your managed service provider, you will have access to our team of IT specialists for all of your IT needs. From the regular monitoring and maintenance of your IT systems to industry-leading data and network security with 24/7 IT support, Tech Cover is the number one choice for IT management in Australia.
Our tailored managed IT services will ensure that you are only paying for the services you need and can be easily scaled to match the growing IT needs of your business. Call Tech Cover today on 1300 832 326 for quality IT support at a competitive price.
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