Businesses have been told, once again, that employees must work from home if possible, as the UK’s coronavirus alert level has been upgraded from 3 to 4.
This new announcement was revealed in Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s most recent statement today in the House of Commons, and will inevitably cause disruption and confusion for the thousands’ of workers who were previously told to ‘go back to work if you can’ just over two months ago.
In an effort to kickstart the economy balanced with the nation’s safety, businesses should expect alternating government advice between staying at home and going in to the office, to continue over the next 12 months as the coronavirus alert level shifts in the UK.
Therefore, it is essential that a long term solution is adopted by businesses so that they can effectively adapt to the changing advice from the Government, often at short notice. Workplace disruptions and employee disengagement is likely to ensue if the right technology, management and leadership is not employed.
Sridhar Iyengar, Managing Director, Zoho Europe comments: “Employers and workers in all businesses will likely be facing some stress and confusion, as the government’s advice on home working shifts once again. The right tools, coupled with the right leadership and culture can make all the difference between a business flourishing and failing.
“Employing some level of continuity and flexibility in business models is essential in enabling workplaces to seamlessly adapt to the ongoing situation. This requires ‘hybrid working’ technology, such as Zoho’s suite of communication, collaboration and cloud-enabled business tools, which will not only streamline from-home operations and provide businesses with a scalable solution to the Government’s changeable advice, but it can also help leaders maintain company culture and keep communication channels open for those employees who do not have an ideal home working environment, have other commitments, such as children, and require access to the support network they usually get from working in an office.”