After more than 18 months of hybrid working, most people are now back in the office. But as the colder months loom, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has confirmed switching to home working could once again be a possibility. And as Mullen Stoker director Gary Stoker explains, that's why it's more important than ever that businesses are prepared if Covid-19 cases surge and the Government is forced to act.
After more than a year and a half of home and flexible working, most people are now back in the office in some capacity.
And whilst right now life seems to be back to normal, the Prime Minister and his medical and scientific advisers have made it clear that Covid-19 is very much still with us. If the surge in cases over the winter months that caused lockdowns to be announced in November and January does happen, robust restrictions will once again be introduced. That would most certainly include a work from home order for those that can. Gary Stoker, founding director of Durham-based accountancy and IT firm Mullen Stoker, has worked with dozens of clients to improve their IT capabilities, enabling them to introduce flexible working to keep their businesses going.
Gary says it is essential employers are switched on to the benefits of having systems in place which mean should they have to, they are able to make the transition to remote working smoothly.
“During the first lockdown in particular, so many businesses were caught out by clunky and dated IT infrastructure and software which meant they couldn’t easily switch to home working. “It resulted in many calling on our services to upgrade their systems so that their staff could safely and securely continue operating in exactly the same way as they would if they were in the office.
“Having this flexibility is essential for businesses that cannot afford unnecessary downtime. “As the winter months loom, I’d urge any company that hasn’t put in place software which allows for off-site working to do so.
“The Prime Minister recently made it clear in his Plan-B strategy that if needed, businesses will be asked to once again work from home. Be prepared for this – this step is a far better option than a full lockdown so don’t be caught out.”
