Now that the state has eased us all back to a new semblance of normal many of us are headed back to our usual work environments. Some of us will be working remotely a while longer, and others will be doing a combination of the two. Just like we needed to adjust our work life when this virus first became apparent, now we need to reacclimate ourselves back to work and the common issues we will all face. With this reorientation comes some normal issues that you or your employees may face. Here are a few of the most common that we have seen in the past few weeks.
Safety First
Obviously many returning employees will be concerned with the health risks of returning to work. It is required that employers follow guidelines set forth by the federal and state governments in regards to cleaning, the wearing of face coverings, and social distancing. As an IT company that deals with hardware of all kinds, we know it may be tempting to bleach everything just be aware that some chemicals are not meant to intermingle with electronic components. Talk to your IT department or IT manager about the best way to clean your hardware without damaging it.
Reinforce Best Data Practices
While working remotely, it is possible that some IT practices were put on the back burner as you adjusted to working from home. Now is the time to resume your protocols for backing up data in a regular manner. Now may also be a good time to review your access protocols and determine which users can access which series of data. Your IT department or IT management company can help you reassess what positions may need regular access and which may need only occasional access.
Reimagine Your Work Space
If you have an office that boasts the typical cubicles or open concept workspaces, then you may need to reimagine how your workplace is arranged. This may sound like just moving around a few desks and chairs, but in reality, it means ensuring that everyone has access to the outlets, ports, and charging stations needed for their device whether it is a desktop, laptop, or handheld device. Spectra Networks can assist in your redesign and relocation of hardware in lieu of the guidelines put forth regarding social distancing. We can help reconfigure your workstations for optimum spacing and access hardware.
Digital Sanitation
While your employees were working remotely, it is entirely possible that new software and apps have made their way on to their devices. Games, data, and other software could pose a danger to your company’s network. Now would be a good time for your IT department or manager to implement some digital sanitization and cleaning out of software that could come with malware. In addition to a digital clean out, you may want to update security, preserve multi-factor authentication and, if necessary, keep VPNs up and running.If your company is making the move to reopen, consult with our specialists about how to do it safely, whether that means redesigning workstations, cleaning our devices, or reviewing best practices for backups. Anticipate these common issues to prevent them from happening.
