Well, we’re wrapping up a major year full of significant growth as far as teleworking is concerned. We've seen a steady rise in the number of teleworkers in our DC office spaces, in addition to a rise in their demands. Since more people are working away from the office now, they still want to be outfitted with current technology in order to maintain a high level of productivity.
TeamViewer (an online meetings software company) conducted a survey of 500 Americans who work from home part time or full time. From that survey, we learn:
-88% are more productive working from home
-45% want to be able to access their company desktops from home
-44% want access to files from mobile devices
-40% want to participate in meetings as if they are in the office
-39% want to be able to print remotely
-38% want to work on documents via screen sharing
-37% want video communication with other colleagues and clients
We can safely assume that these demands will be met. Telework from a DC office space is the new way of conducting business – not merely a passing trend.
“With the passage of the Telework Enhancement Act in 2010, and the Obama administration’s increased focus on telework and mobility, we expect that telework will continue to grow toward a culture where it doesn’t matter where employees are located,” said Cindy Auten, general manager at the Telework Exchange. “Because of increasing access to mobile devices and remote networks, we anticipate that telework will become the norm.” source
You can see evidence of this becoming the norm when comparing recent responses to natural disasters. The Snowpocalypse that hit the East Coast two years ago caused the entire DC area to be immobile for a week. Many businesses had a complete shutdown (and severe profit loss) because teleworking was still a baby idea trying to scratch the surface. Most employees weren’t set up with the ability to work from home.
Just two years later when Hurricane Sandy ravaged the East Coast, the number of teleworkers has jumped significantly. With power loss, flooding, and blocked roadways, it was impossible for almost everyone in the storm’s path to get to work. However this time, employees were able to log on from home and conduct business as usual through accessing their company's virtual private networks and cloud computing.
Don't let your business remain at risk - Contact Metro Offices here for getting started with teleworking today!