Employees have not rushed back to workplaces in the weeks following Freedom Day, with the number of staff in the office remaining stagnant at 11.7% in July. That’s why IT support specialists, ramsac, have compiled the ultimate guide to businesses safely re-opening their doors to staff while supporting them if they choose to work between the office and from home.

Here’s a look at two of the potential difficulties all businesses need to consider, and how to successfully navigate them.

Improving home internet speeds:

Internet speeds have become one of the most important factors in a home office. Unfortunately, not everyone had fast enough Wi-Fi at home when the first lockdown struck, which made video calls, downloading files, and day to day tasks difficult. To combat this, try the following:

• Count how many devices you have connected to your Wi-Fi around the house. You’ll be amazed how many smart lights, TVs, phones, tablets, and speakers are taking up valuable bandwidth.
• Boost your router. Home routers are often not designed for the workload we expect, and a Wi-Fi booster can alleviate some of the strain your router may be experiencing.
• Consider an upgrade. With good Wi-Fi becoming a more important necessity every day, investing in your internet experience can be more beneficial than you may realise, and you can often do it without changing hardware or provider.

Home office tech advice:

A common issue is that employers have allowed staff to work from home on a computer of their preference, although this is a major cybersecurity threat and makes your work vulnerable to cyberattacks.

• Watch out for coronavirus spam. Cybercriminals are delivering attacks under the guise of Covid-19 advice and highlighting this to your staff is essential in avoiding the dangerous clickbait that can result in a cybersecurity breach.
• Utilise multi-factor authentication (2FA/MFA). This is a simple yet effective step and keeps your VPN secure. Think of VPN as a private tunnel from a user to the main system; keeping that tunnel secure at both ends is essential.

Covid-19 has brought significant unexpected changes to the modern world, the biggest of which being employers having their arm twisted to explore new methods of working. With the right procedures and training in place, the pandemic induced part WFH part office lifestyle is a reality that many would like to blend into regular life.

To find out more about navigating the professional world successfully, visit ramsac’s IT and cybersecurity guide, and learn everything everything you need to know.