Does Australia Have the Infrastructure to Work From Home?

As COVID-19 (or coronavirus) grips the world, employers are preparing for a potentially altered world of work.

So how does remote work fit into business continuity, and what infectious disease management plans do organisations have in place in reference to coronavirus?

At present, the Australian government and health authorities are urging people to go about their normal lives, but with more consideration towards hygiene.

This means that employers should ensure staff members stay home if they are unwell, and that appropriate sneeze and cough etiquette are adhered to.

Sanitising shared equipment and doorknobs is also another way Australian workplaces can mitigate health risks.

While the situation in Australia is under control, it is worth bearing in mind that in a forecast of the worst-case scenario, the coronavirus outbreak could last up to 10 months.

On top of this, 40% of the workforce could be sidelined by illness or the need to care for unwell family members. If these pandemic level conditions are reached, people may be advised to work from home in order to minimise close contact with others and possible transmission.

So why should businesses get their workforce ready for remote work, now?

For our economy to keep thriving with a remote workforce, technology is, of course, a key ingredient.

Some Australian workplaces are testing work from days to ensure they have the capability to pull it off if the government enforces a quarantine.

This includes ensuring video conferencing tools, cloud storage and communication tools like Slack are set up and ready to go, and that employees are familiar with all tools.

Interestingly, the stock prices of Slack and video conferencing tool Zoom have actually risen in the past month, even though the market overall is on the decline.

Company officials at Zoom are even saying they have seen more new users in the first two months of 2020 than in all of last year.

This indicates that workplaces around the world are doubling down on their tech capabilities due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Other tech considerations for businesses include tele-robots which can perform onsite jobs remotely, and AI-enabled transcription software to fuel productive remote meetings.

In Australia, the imminent completion of the National Broadband Network is sure to provide a huge boost to the remote workforce.

In fact, one of the original aims of the NBN was to provide greater opportunities for Australians to work remotely, with a goal being set that 12% of public servants would soon be able to telecommute thanks to the NBN.

This percentage will certainly grow across all professions as fast internet access becomes the norm in Australia.

Aside from operational solutions, remote working may have an impact on other areas like people and culture.

This might include social isolation among remote team members or difficulty in maintaining a work-life balance.

To mitigate this, there needs to be a clear understanding between employers and employees about the support available to remote workers.

Team building activities can also be carried out remotely, like remote pizza parties in which all team members jump on a video call and have pizzas delivered to their separate locations by their employer.

While remote working and work from home jobs are gaining traction in Australia, the coronavirus outbreak could potentially act as a catalyst for accelerating the adoption of tools and technologies that enable remote working.

While remote working and work from home jobs are gaining traction in Australia, the coronavirus outbreak could potentially act as a catalyst for accelerating the adoption of tools and technologies that enable remote working.