A Breakdown Of The Risks Associated With A Remote Workforce

Is a majority of your staff still reporting to work remotely? This continues to be the norm across many different industries in the United States. As COVID-19 ravaged through the States, remote work became the safest option for employees concerned for their health and the health of their families. Meaning more and more employers had to open up to the idea. You may think this was the turning point for remote work, but the truth is the popularity of remote work had seen steady increases even before the pandemic. Global Workplace Analytics reports that between 2005 and 2018 the number of remote employees increased by 173%. Even as far back as 2005 employers realized the benefits of remote employees, such as lower overhead costs for their operation. They also were aware of the inherent risk that comes from a large number of remote employees filling out their staff.

Some of the drawbacks that come from a remote staff is the challenge in managing these employees. The lack of in-person communication makes it harder to remain on the same page as your employees. It’s common for members of the staff to find it more difficult to collaborate with other team members as well as remaining connected with their peers. This lack of interaction can also cause a sense of isolation in these employees. These are only a few of the administrational problems that can arise due to these remote conditions.

One of these problems for organizations to solve is related to workers compensation for remote employees. States require employers to have workers’ compensation insurance for their employees — whether they work remotely or not. Workers’ compensation covers medical bills and lost wages for employees who get sick or injured at work. If you have an employee who becomes injured doing work and during work hours, your workers’ compensation policy should cover him or her.

Revisiting potential risks of remote work and remote employees, a cyberattack cannot be understated. Incorporating an encrypted virtual private network, or VPN, and up-to-date firewall and antivirus software can help prevent any form of attack and maintain data security. Additionally, employees should have strong passwords and change them regularly.

When organizations feel that they need additional protection from these risks, they’ll often look to first-party cyber liability insurance.  These policies cover damages that arise due to these data breaches. Whether it be from stolen hardware or online schemes, it is important for companies to encourage their employees to be as safe as possible while conducting work remotely.

Organizations may feel hesitant regarding enabling their remote employees, but the benefits will often outweigh the costs. For more tips and tricks on how to effectively manage these employees, be sure to take a moment to review the infographic accompanying this post. Courtesy of B2Z Insurance.