Are You Ready For Employee Absence Affecting Your Business This Winter?

One of the biggest business disruptions is unplanned employee absence. At this time of year there is a high chance of bad weather and there are plenty of colds and illnesses going round, resulting in many businesses advising employees to stay at home rather than share their germs with the rest of the workforce.

Over the last week we’ve faced gale force winds and there’s rumours of a bad winter on the horizon. This could result in numerous disruptions such as the Forth Road Bridge closing, train cancellations and many other obstacles to overcome to keep your business operational.

With some of our staff based in Fife, we had to work around the fact that there was no way of them getting into the office last year and we are all prepared for anything the weather and illness throws at us this year… Are you?

Being an IT Company, we have remote technology at our disposal and we’re able to open for business as usual. Just like us, you might have experienced similar problems. This article will show you how you can keep your business going by making your technology work for you.

What is remote technology?

Remote technology like Virtual Private Networks (VPN) enables you to connect securely to your corporate network from a remote location, like your home. Using a VPN, you can access your data, files, emails and any other information you require to carry out your job. The best part is that, in many cases, you can connect using your computer, laptop, tablet or even your smartphone, from the comfort of your own home.

Benefits of using remote technology

Avoid bad traffic – Poor weather like snow and high winds can often cause accidents and lead to traffic congestion or road closures. The time employees spend trying to get to work can actually end up eating into their working day and affecting productivity. Rather than wasting time by requiring employees to work from the office, by simply installing remote technology like VPNs, you can allow employees to use their time wisely and work from home.

Fewer sick days – How many times have you decided not to go into the office because you’ve got a bad cold? Whilst you probably wouldn’t feel well enough to travel in to work, it’s likely that you would be able to carry out some aspects of your job if you could look after yourself at home. By installing a VPN and remote technology in the workplace and letting employees work from home, you can reduce the number of sick days your staff take and prevent the spreading of germs around the office!

Flexibility - If some of your employees are parents, they’ve probably had to take leave at one time or another to look after their children (or other loved ones) when they’re too poorly to go to school, nursery or look after themselves. Whilst this would usually mean that they wouldn’t be able to get any work done during their absence from the office, if you were to install remote technology, they would be able to conduct some of their work from home, whilst keeping an eye on their loved one.

This will not only benefit your business in terms of productivity but also raise the morale of your staff, as they will appreciate the flexibility you are offering them.

Conclusion

As you can see, remote technology is extremely beneficial and we’ve certainly found it useful in these situations. If you have or foresee your business facing similar problems and want to improve business continuity in the future, feel free to get in touch on 0131 603 7910.

Our team will be more than happy to talk you through your various options and help you decide on the right remote technology to suit your business.