Coronavirus: Get all staff working from home in just days

“Employers should be taking every possible step to make sure remote working can happen.”

These were the words of Health Secretary Matt Hancock in Parliament (March 24), as the Government ramped up its message to everyone in the country to stay at home to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Having started out as a gentle nudge in the early stages, the instruction for workers to stay away from their offices and carry on jobs, where possible, from the safety of their own home, has become a clear, unmistakeable command from officials.

Clearly, not everyone can do their daily tasks remotely. But for most accountancy practices it should, in theory, be possible for the whole team to operate at a distance, no matter where they are all based.

At IRIS, we know of many examples of accountants who already had flexible or remote working arrangements in place – long before the coronavirus pandemic began to force companies into operating in this way – because they recognised the benefits it afforded them.

One such case is leading accountancy firm Jones & Co, which has taken full advantage over its 40 years in business of the latest technologies – including remote working. The firm has been making the most of this for some while already.

Team members can log in and get key tasks done, wherever they are in the world. This is epitomised by Beccy Homer, tax manager at the Farnborough-based practice, who regular works from clients’ offices, thanks to IRIS Hosting. She says: “I’ve even been to Thorpe Park for the day, and the kids have gone off on the rollercoasters and I’ve sat in a coffee shop and been able to work as if I’m in the office.”

You can find out more about her experiences in this case study, here.

Transition from traditional working

But if your practice is among those with a more traditional office set up, how do you quickly change in the way you’re required?

And how does remote working actually work in practice?

How can it help ensure your practice is still operating at peak productivity and carrying out vital compliance work, while continuing to engage effectively with your clients and meet their needs?

In line with our mission to bring certainty for customers despite the uncertain times we’ve produced a simple one page guide to help you solve these very questions. Download it for free here for the full lowdown.

There are a few vital things to think about in terms of setting up your staff to all work from home effectively and easily.

Consistent computer set up

One obvious problem that those not used to working from home think of when confronted with the idea is all the difficulties of working on a different computer and with different systems.

Indeed, if you have to do that it will be very disruptive.

That’s why it’s crucial you’re using a hosting service that enables you to turn your home PC into an identical version of your office one  – with the same precise functionality, apps, and programs.

It is possible to get your teams working as if they are on their normal office PCs – with their screen displays and software, operating and looking identical.

Work anywhere

It’s crucial that your employees have the ability to work from anywhere, any time. No matter where they live, they should be able to log in to your business systems and carry on as if they were in the office. You need to ensure that the system you have in place just requires the simplest things – access to a computer and the internet. No more complicated than that.

Work anytime

The point about time is even more relevant with the school closures. You may have staff who are facing the enormous challenge of trying to look after their children, school them, and work all at the same time. The current crisis means flexibility is necessary. If your staff can complete essential tasks at any point during day or night – perhaps at times outside the usual office hours when they can concentrate more easily because kids are being cared for or asleep – that is a far better alternative than not getting it done at all. So, a system that enables 24/7 access to your work set is important.

Cybercrime and security

For every practice, the security of client data is paramount. You’ll want to ensure that a change in the way you work doesn’t open the door to cyber criminals. You need to take care that, when your team is set up to work remotely, connections are fully secure and encrypted, safe from hackers, viruses, ransomware, so your business remains compliant with strict legislation.

Here to help

With IRIS Hosting, you’ll get the capability to achieve all of the key points mentioned in this article – and more.

And to respond as rapidly as possible in the current COVID-19 crisis, we’ve launched a new Fast Track Service means you can be working from home in days, not weeks.

Our quick response team is here to help. Book a call with our team here.