Tips to avoid business disruption from travel problems by Armen Zildjan, VP LogMeIn EMEA on 30-Apr-2012

Talks continue with fuel tanker drivers over possible strikes that have the potential to stop employees all over the country from being able to commute to work. And, looking beyond that and the recent London Underground strike, businesses face increased disruption around that little sporting event coming up this summer. As a result, many are frustrated at the potential loss of productivity and revenue from staff unable to make it into the office.

With that in mind, here are our top five tips for minimising the impact of any travel disruption on your business:

1. Set a remote working policy

Is it acceptable to host a client meeting in your home? Will your home phone and internet charges be reimbursed? Can you leave your remote desktop connected while nipping out for lunch?

By setting a remote working policy, businesses can help employees understand when it’s acceptable to work remotely, what’s expected of them while doing so and best practices for productivity and job satisfaction. Even better, research indicates that remote workers actually put in longer hours, so your investment is likely to pay off many times over.

2. Deploy the right technology

The rise in smartphones, tablets and notebooks has made it even easier for employees to be productive anywhere at any time. And with free remote access services out there, the technical and cost barriers to entry for remote working are almost non-existent.

The nature of your employees work may dictate which technologies you should deploy. For example, companies that have mobile workers might want to opt for tablets.

If you regularly use a remote connection for work, your employer should also consider setting up a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to allow remote access to your company’s network resources, such as shared file or print servers.

3. Consider security

Inevitably, remote access relies on the transfer of data from the remote computer to your desktop or mobile device. Therefore, it’s very important to ensure that the service you are using is secure.

The most common security protocol is SSL/TLS, which is commonly used for e-commerce and online banking, and it can use different kinds of data encryption. Whatever service you choose should provide always-on security and AES encryption (preferably 256-bit) to protect remote connections over public networks.

4. Offer perks

If you absolutely need your staff in the office, why not offer perks that may make them choose to say in the office? This could be anything from an extra half-day holiday, to a good meal in a restaurant for all those who come into work.

5. Allow flexible working

Implementing flexible working hours can also allow your employees to miss the worst of the traffic or rail congestion and ensure that they arrive at the office more quickly and less stressed. Even employees who decide not to use flexible working will appreciate having the option and it can generate good will amongst staff.

For more information, please visit: secure.logmein.com/UK

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