Now that most of us have been working remote for about eight weeks or so, our opinions of telecommuting probably fall into one of three categories: used to it, loving it, or hating it. No matter where you land, there’s no doubt that elements of this new way of doing business will stay long after we’re allowed to leave our homes again. With that in mind, here are some factors to consider for life after shelter-in-place.

Telecommuting means less overhead costs – With your staff working from the comfort of their own homes, your organization may consider downsizing or even eliminating the office space you had before the shelter-in-place orders came down. If so, you could save tons of money on rent or mortgages, furniture, etc.

One issue you may encounter is the bevy of consequences related to employees using their personal devices, assuming you go this route with their home office needs. You’ll need to step up your remote working cybersecurity protocols to safeguard your operations against non-employees using devices for personal use.

No more 9-to-5 – Take it from a longtime telecommuter: the concept of business hours goes out the window when you’re working from home. If the kids need some help with their online lessons or the dog needs a walk, those tasks without a deadline can wait until everyone else is in bed. Also, customer service needs at odd hours are much more manageable when employees don’t need to travel to an office to respond. That could be a blessing and a curse for your organization – productivity could increase, but so could burnout.

Dealing with legalities – Eventually, you’ll be ready to start hiring in this new reality, and with your newfound confidence in telecommuting, your pool of candidates has no geographic boundaries. However, you’ll need to learn how to legally employ people from throughout the United States or even internationally.

You’ll also need to take compliance into consideration. For example, if you’re based in Wyoming but hire a salesperson living in San Francisco, is your business suddenly mandated to adhere to the California Consumer Privacy Act?

2W Tech is more than an IT consultant – we’re a business consultant, as well. Let us guide you through these uncertain times by providing managed services, business continuity consultation and a slew of additional services that only a trusted Microsoft Gold Partner could offer. We specialize in solutions for the manufacturing industry. Contact us today for more information.

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