Even before the pandemic, millions of people are already working remotely for various employers worldwide. The internet is not a modern marvel. It has enabled workers around the world for a couple of years even before the pandemic. In 2019, it was reported that 5 million Americans did some form of remote work. Even more took a couple of hours of courses, training, and subjects to augment their knowledge and skill base.
Working remotely has been so cost-effective for different international countries. Some of these companies farm labor from different countries and pay their remote workers more handsomely than local rates. It has been so beneficial for both sides that you almost hear no one complaining.
According to a recent survey, at least 74% of workers and professionals are expecting companies to completely standardize working remotely. This view is shared by most companies, as 76% of the surveyed entrepreneurs view remote work to be extremely efficient, cost-effective, practical, and manageable. There are many training seminars uploaded online tackling the exact issue at hand. Courses are offered regarding management techniques employed in a work-from-home scenario.
It is predicted that hybrid scheduling of both office work and remote working will eventually be the norm. It is undeniable that many employees still look for opportunities to work in the office. An office setting allows complete and seamless interaction with others as compared to working from home. Virtual interactions are completely different from actual and physical interactions. The need to interact in person by people is not easily satiated in working remotely. There is no hiding that working remotely will destroy traditional employment landscapes and setups.
Shared Cubicles
Hybrid working schedules will definitely be integrated into many company policies. To save on rent expense, offices should look into entering into a lease contract with a smaller office space. Hybrid working schedules will allow batching of different groups of employees to work in the office while the other groups will work at home. This will result in less office space used at the same time.
Sharing cubicles will be ideal while the other person is not present in the office. A hybrid office will allow the company to reduce the cost of electricity and other utilities, as well as to save a little in rent. Just look for space that has sturdy concrete foundations, a working bathroom, and a fast internet connection and you’ll be good to go.
Remote Work Allowance
While working remotely can save the employee some money concerning transportation expenses, the setup can cost him or her some more because of the electricity and other utilities used while staying at home. Companies are thinking about providing remote work allowance to the employees to cushion the blow of the expenses. Companies with a lot of goodwill and love towards its employees should offer what it saves up on its utilities to its employees. Work is a two-way street. As a sign of love and care to the employees, companies should also look out for the welfare of their employees.
E-Signature in Business
Allowance of e-signatures in business is the next logical step for companies integrating a remote work or hybrid setup. E-signatures for some companies are a complete nullity. Some corporate actions demand the wet signature of certain employees or even members of the board to authorize specific actions. The method of doing e-signature now is safe, secure, and reliable, as compared to previous iterations.
While before, anyone can replicate and do their signatures on their PDF files, new programs allow the complete confidentiality of the document being asked to be signed and the complete paper trail regarding electronic document submissions. E-signatures in progressive-minded businesses are so normalized and are so well-integrated that systems have been put in place to efficiently facilitate document exchange.
Electronic Transfers
Lastly, electronic transfers of money will be the longstanding trend that will never go away post-pandemic. As more and more people get on board the digital trend, electronic transfers of money are slowly getting recognized as convenient and worthwhile even by older folks. The distrust in online methods is real. For fear of being hacked or tampered with, some people prefer being transferred money physically.
Electronic transfers, which minimize contact between people, are the norm in the new normal. Because of how convenient it is, this setup will likely remain even beyond the pandemic. Electronic transfers allow quicker turnaround times. It also allows people to completely devoid themselves of contact which runs a higher risk of becoming infected.
