Remote work is here to stay, with a whole list of new challenges

As most provinces begin to come out of the COVID-19 shutdown and businesses start to reopen, one thing is for sure — companies and employees are set to face a new workplace that will create challenges for employees as well as HR and IT departments.

As the country heads back into the office this will present unique obstacles, just as it did when everyone made the immediate shift to remote work in early spring. It will likely create an influx of work for all employees, with an added stress to IT departments. Returning to work will require people to adapt and find new rhythms of productivity. Currently, employees are used to having family members around them and the option to adjust their work hours more evenly over the full day.

Employees will now have to return to their commuting routines, meaning longer hours and working a regular 9-5 day. But not in all cases. The fourmonth work-from-home experiment has been proven effective — remote work is here to stay.

Nevertheless, even with a partial return there will be a backlog of IT requests. Employees who need a computer virus removed, a new headset, or any non-urgent support, will be reaching out all at once from both home and office. The IT department can get ahead of this by enabling self-service for these types of common questions. Also, setting up a complete list of FAQs and knowledge items in advance can help alleviate this influx.

During the shift to remote work most IT teams made changes to their infrastructure, supporting the majority of employees working from home; showing organizations how invaluable they were during these times. Several other departments in the organization have likely realized how vulnerable they were not having the proper tools in place to manage their work, changing how they approach IT.

Offices will also have to think about the future of work environments. There is a strong possibility that physical workplaces may diminish significantly; for some working from home could be here to stay and access to remote work will help with productivity.

TOPdesk Canada’s recent Office Panic Poll found that more than seven-in-10 Canadians have endured at least one dreaded IT issue on the job. On a regular workday, the survey found employees have to endure computers running too slowly (43 per cent), the internet not working (39 per cent), printer issues (30 per cent) and getting locked out of accounts due to unsuccessful login attempts. These IT issues are roadblocks to productivity and given the current circumstances, are the last thing returning employees will want to deal with during the scramble of bringing a business back online.

Organizations need to think ahead and prepare now to ensure a seamless back to work experience for both their employees and customers. One area that will need to be re-evaluated across all industries is inventory needs. As employees return to work, there could be a risk of company property (equipment, laptops, headsets, etc.,) being left at home. IT departments should prepare an inventory checklist to ensure all equipment has been returned.

Hopefully the pandemic has shown companies that they can adapt to a modern workforce with a split of onsite and remote work. Organizations who were once hesitant of remote work may now want to embrace it by implementing the proper tools and infrastructure.

Although COVID-19 has been challenging on a global scale, it has provided valuable insights and a teachable lesson for moving toward the future of work.