What is a work from home culture? How did we get here, and how can we sustain this shift safely?
Before 2005, businesses rarely offered a telecommuting option. That all changed between 2005 and 2018 when the remote workforce grew by 173%, nearly 11% faster than the mainstream workforce. It’s estimated that 40% more businesses offer remote work opportunities to their workforce than they did five years ago.
In 2020, this all changed again. The COVID 19 pandemic drove many small to medium-sized businesses to remote workforces to survive, and this shift is likely to continue long-after the crisis has passed.
Benefits of the Work from Home Culture
There are many reasons a business may have remote workforces. A remote or telecommuting model benefits both workers and businesses:
- Telecommuters save an average of between $2-7k per year in parking, gas, and other commuting expenses
- Businesses save an average of $11k for each employee allowed to telecommute at least half the week
- Lower greenhouse gas emissions
- Remote workforces allow employers to widen their pool of talent when hiring
- Remote employees are happier and achieve a better work-life balance
Virtual Companies
Some small to medium-sized businesses save money on office supplies, leasing costs, and overhead incidentals such as electricity and heating/cooling costs by operating 100% remotely. The work from home culture means money saved.
Naturally, your remote workforce relies on technology to stay connected. You may have your internal servers and network secured from cybercrime, but what about your remote workers or your super-committed weekend warriors?
You need a strategy to keep data safe with a remote workforce whether your business is virtual or you just employ a few remote workers. Securing a remote workforce doesn’t have to be complicated or costly, and there are many steps you can take yourself.
Encourage Employee Transparency in a Work From Home Culture
Accidents will happen, links may be clicked, and spam answered. Keeping data safe in a remote workforce means encouraging the employee to report any suspicious activity, even if they might have accidentally introduced the issue. Always provide a phone number to an IT professional for all remote employees to call immediately if something feels wrong about an email, or if they accidentally clicked something that is affecting their computer. When securing your remote workforce, make sure they fully understand what steps to take if they suspect their computer or other devices has become infected with malware.
Securing your Remote Workforce Doesn’t Have to be Complicated
Integris knows a few things about the work from home culture. We have many remote teams ourselves.
We have the solutions to keep your data safe with a remote workforce.
Let us help you make your remote work from home culture as protected as your office employees are. Contact Integris for a free, no-obligation consultation today.
For a limited time, Integris is offering a one-hour consultation with a free dark web scan, a value of over $690. Schedule your appointment and chat with a specialist today.
