We Need to Talk About Remote Employees And Health Issues

We Need to Talk About Remote Employees And Health Issues

A lot of studies that focus on home-based employees highlight one interesting fact about sick days. Indeed, it appears that remote workers are less likely to use as many sick days as office-based employees. For business owners, the direct conclusion is that remote workers don’t need to take sick days because they are at home.

However, this would be a mistake. The real reason why your office co-workers tend to take longer sick leaves than remote colleagues is that stress affects them more profoundly. Indeed, working in a hectic environment can lead to chronic tension and anxiety, which, in the long term, weaken the immune system. As a consequence, someone who commutes to the office is more likely to catch a virus than someone who stays at home – not because the virus targets commuters, but because office stress takes its toll and makes them more vulnerable.

In no way should a business owner assume that remote workers don’t need sick days because they are based at home. On the contrary, remote workers can be the first to struggle with health issues without receiving the proper support.

Managing the health of your remote team

Remote working options let them go back to work sooner

One of the first mistakes that a business owner makes about remote workers is to misunderstand the need for rest on sick days. Remote workers are more likely to go back to work sooner than recommended by their doctor because they feel pressured to do so. It is, therefore, the role of the company to make it clear that they should take the recovery time they need. There is a clear distinction to make between working from home and resting at home. While the location might be the same, the effort involved in each activity is very different. You should make it an official policy to value sick days. Even though the technology to work from the bedroom is available, https://jerrymooneybooks.com/implementing-remote-working-in-your-business-here-is-the-tech-you-need/, it is vital to remind remote workers to focus on their recovery. Healing time should not be disrupted with work.

What is your role during a remote freak accident?

From a business perspective, your health and safety responsibilities are considerably diminished when you work with a remote team. However, while you have no direct responsibility for any accident that occurs outside of your site, it can be helpful for both your business and your team to maintain a direct support policy. Indeed, you can make it part of your business perk to offer partial financing for all legal fees if your employee is injured in an accident during their spare time. You can also provide a list of legal advisors for them to consult, such as https://www.braininjurylawofseattle.com/seattle-maritime-injury-lawyer/. Ultimately, when an individual is injured, their world stops. Most people may not know how to react or what to do; therefore partnering with a professional who can advise your employees and direct them to the right interlocutors can make a big difference in their recovery and your productivity.  

Schedule regular check-ins

Lastly, home-based employees can feel isolated. It”s your role to make them feel connected to the team. Indeed, isolation creates depression and health issues.

Ultimately, the real question you want to ask yourself is, how well are your remote workers looked after? From allowing recovery time to providing guidance when their health is at risk, you can be the employer who creates a safe remote working environment for all.

This Is Where The Moneys At

This Is Where The Moneys At

Do you feel super money hungry at the minute? Well join the queue. There has never been a more entrepreneurial time, with businesses popping up left, right and center. It’s simply because people know that in business, there’s money. But to get to the point where your business idea is progressing enough to make money so that you’re actually pocketing it, rather than just feeding it right back into your business, might never actually happen. Some people put their heart and soul into an idea, only for it to go right into administration before profit can even be made. That’s simply because of a lack of understanding with regard to business and how to run one, and that we’re simply going through a stage where everyone is setting up some sort of business, so the market is just getting so crowded. So, without putting you off completely before the article has properly started, we want to show you where the money is truly at. You don’t want to waste your time with ideas that just aren’t going to work for you, or investments that are never going to see you get a return

Running your own business is not the only route that there is for you to follow, and that’s hopefully what this article is going to show you. So here’s a couple of fab ideas, where we know you can make a lot of money if you have the right mind for business. Keep on reading to find out more!

Go For A Franchise

When thinking about making money in any way, shape, or form, franchising is the last thing that people think about. It’s easy for the mind to jump right to setting up your own business, but is that really where the money is at? Unless you have a super good idea, then no, it most definitely is not. But with franchising, the risk is reduced dramatically. You will have to think about an initial investment to buy into a company as such, but once you’re in, you’re a business owner. Whilst the business might not technically be yours, the store you’re buying into will be. So you’ll still get that business management vibe, you just won’t have to go through all of the rubbish when setting one up. But there are some franchises that won’t carry you towards the money as much as others. At the end of the day, you have to go for something that you know the world is seeking out at the minute, and if you franchise in a small town, with a business that only relates to a few people, then you’re only going to pay the price. One you might want to consider, is an insect control franchise opportunity. In certain parts of the US, insects are a problem all year round. In the summer there’s the ants, cock roaches, spiders… you name it, it’s there. So if you were to franchise a company like this in a super built up area that’s close to a forest or nature, you’re bound to make a lot of money. Setting up in a city wouldn’t be the right idea, you need to have plenty of natural surroundings close that would bring the bugs in! But this is just one company, franchising out one business idea. There’s so many more that might suit you, so go and find your niche!

Stick To Simply Investing

So you don’t have to set up your own business to be rolling in the money. There are plenty of investment opportunities for you to follow, that could see you earning more money than you ever would have done if you set up your own business. Investing is often easier to get your head around as well, as you only have to learn one thing in detail. Whereas with a business, you’d have to learn about multiple different areas, and even then they’d change so much that it would be hard to keep up. So with investment, you want to go with one that you know is going to make money, and for us, that’s Forex trading. Forex is something that’s really blowing up at the minute, so if you’re going to go for it, now is the time. Tons of people are trying their luck with it, simply because it has been glamorized by social media, with hundreds posting about the lifestyle it has given them. But the ground work these people would have put in to get there would have been huge, so don’t be mistaken. As long as you’re prepared to put in that groundwork though, the opportunity is most definitely there for you. So, get researching into it now, and start saving for that initial investment. The great thing about this is that you won’t have to borrow from the banks!

Go Big With A New Idea

So if business is what your heart and soul is dedicated to, you really do need to have the right idea. Far too many are jumping into business with the same idea that everyone else has, and execute it in exactly the same way, meaning money just isn’t going to flow through. So think outside the box, and do some real research into the gaps in the market. If you can find a niche that’s still looking for budding entrepreneurs, you really should go for it. Sometimes you have to go for something that isn’t what typically interests you, to find a new love! Plus, it’s really easy to find a new passion, when it’s making you a ton of money!

Social Media Carries A Lot Of Money

A final little idea that we’re loving, and that’s that social media is blowing up right now. So many people are becoming influencers because of the lifestyle and the money that it brings. Fitness influencers are really in right now, with thousands upon thousands following them, simply because people are interested in their life! So think about how you could influence people, maybe by food or travel, and do some research into how people make money from doing it!

Implementing Remote Working In Your Business? Here Is The Tech You Need

Implementing Remote Working In Your Business? Here Is The Tech You Need

The business landscape is continually evolving, and remote work is continuing to change the way that businesses operate. As a business owner, allowing your employees to work remotely has plenty of benefits. For example, it will enable you to cut down or completely negate the need for office space, saving you a lot of money. It also means that your business can run around the clock if necessary, giving your customers and clients a feeling of importance, as you won’t be ignoring them as soon as regular 9-5 business hours are over. For your employees, it is better – people tend to work more effectively when they have the freedom to choose their own schedule and working practices.

However, like with most business practices, some challenges come with remote working. One of the most challenging things is knowing how to manage your team effectively when you don’t see them daily as it can lead to a disconnect between you and them. However, the good news is that technology can offer a solution to most of these problems. If you are thinking about implementing a remote working policy in your business, you will need to think about these pieces of tech:

Photo by Joseph Gruenthal on Unsplash

Security Software

This should be something you already have installed in the office anyway, to protect all of the data you hold about your business and your customers. When you start to use remote workers, and have people accessing sensitive documents on their own devices, it is even more important – to protect both your business and your workers Remember, if you operate in the European Union and have a data breach, you can be fined up to £10,000 per violation under the 2018 GDPR guidelines. Implementing security software across various devices and ensuring that things are adequately protected when they’re being sent between people working remotely can get complicated, so it’s a good idea to enlist the help of managed IT services to help you out. They can advise you on which software is best and help you to put it in place properly so you can be sure that everyone is safe.

Cloud Computing

Access to documents is essential when people are working remotely, so it is crucial that you have an excellent cloud computing service implemented. Make sure that you pay for enough storage space and that all employees have the access that they need. However, it is also important that you have a strict policy in place, so only employees only have access to the documents and information that they need to complete their job, to reduce the chances of any data leaks.

Live Chat

As with all businesses, communication is essential, and this is one thing that can be a challenge when working remotely. It is important that people can work on projects together effectively, and you can get in touch with your employees during their working hour without hassling them with phone calls or emails.  One of the most straightforward ways of doing this is to implement a live chat service, where you can get an almost immediate response.

If you utilize these pieces of technology, your remote workers will be far more effective, and your business will benefit from the change a lot more.

Ensure Customers Get the Service They Deserve

Ensure Customers Get the Service They Deserve

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When you are running a business, it is imperative that your focus is on your customers as much as it can be. You need to ensure that you keep them satisfied and leave them wanting to come back to your business time and again. The best way of achieving this is to think about what your customers want and try to put their interests first at all times.

You need to ensure that you are making the right changes to your company that can really enhance the customer experience. This is something that you need to make sure you focus on if you want to give yourself an edge over your rivals. Make sure you think about the right way of achieving this and try to do what you can to improve the business in the process. Here are some of the most effective ways to achieve this moving forward.  

Offer Constant Communication

Communication is one of the core pillars of business success, and, when it comes to improving your customer service, you need to make sure you offer your clients constant communication. This means being available across multiple different platforms and offering numerous ways of getting in touch. For instance, the website might offer an email or contact form, but you should also offer online chat, an FAQ section, a phone number, and possibly even an SMS service. The more options you have, the better people will respond to your company.

Check What Your Staff are Doing

As a business owner, you have to make sure you know what your staff are doing as often as possible, and there are a number of ways of achieving this. In an office-based business, you can introduce an online system that allows you to track the work your staff are doing. If you run a trucking or commercial business, you might consider fleet dash cams so you can see what your drivers are doing and how efficient they are with their deliveries.  

Improve the Quality of Your Products

Make sure you do as much as possible to improve the quality of your products because this can be one of the defining factors of the company. Your business will often be judged on the quality of the products and services that you offer, and this is one of the key things to bear in mind. If you can think about quality control, and ensure you are always offering products of the highest possible quality, and this is something to think about moving forward.

Digitise More Effectively

Any modern business that is going to enjoy success is going to need to digitise as effectively as possible. There are a lot of factors to keep in mind when it comes to digitising your company, and this is going to provide many more opportunities for better customer service. You can ensure you have an excellent website, you can create social media profiles, and you will be able to set up an online store.

Make sure you do as much as possible to put your customers first at all times and make the right decisions for the business. This is something that you need to make sure you get right for the good of the business, and you can do a lot to achieve this. Customer service is what allows you to improve the appeal and reputation of your brand, so you need to make sure you work on this as much as possible.

Protecting Your Business From Risk

Protecting Your Business From Risk

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If you run any kind of business, you need to be sure that you are protecting your staff, your customers, and yourself from any accidents. Not only do you have a duty of care to make sure that the workplace is safe; it could be very costly to your business in the event of a claim against you from a personal injury attorney. Payouts can run from a few thousand dollars to hundreds of thousands. And worse than the financial cost, they could end up spelling the end for your business.

There are a few ways that you can ensure that you are doing everything that you can to avoid putting your company into this kind of position.

Training

Make sure every member of staff in your organization is fully trained on how to deal with any emergency. Where possible, send your team on training days. Try to have a member of your team trained in first aid. Be sure and review all of your training every year. Don’t forget that when a new employee joins your team, they will need health and safety training as a matter of priority.

Assess The Risks

Whatever the type of business you run, there will be risks. They may be the risk of a small injury, or there might be a potential for a fire. Whatever the worst case scenario, you need to plan for it.

Take the time to do a thorough risk assessment covering all aspects of your operation. You cannot be too detailed here; ensure you include any risk to injury through performing part of a job role right through to making sure that there is adequate fire protection available.

Use your risk assessment to highlight any training requirements in your company, as well as highlighting any maintenance that needs to be undertaken.

Your risk assessment should be reviewed regularly to make sure that there are no new hazards, or worsening of existing risks.

The Accident Book

All accidents, including near misses, need to be recorded in an accident book. This is as much for your protection as it is for the person who has had the accident. Make sure you get as many details as soon as possible after the accident and ensure that if there are changes that need to be made around the workplace following the accident, that you get them rectified as soon as possible.

Maintenance

Falling behind on the upkeep of your equipment can cause accidents or fires. Make sure that you have service contracts and that you are keeping up to date on making sure all equipment is tested. If an item is faulty or damaged, ensure that it is not used until it is repaired and safe again.  

Ensuring the safety of your team should be one of your main priorities. It might be easy to brush it aside as being unimportant because you have never known one of your staff members to have an accident in the workplace. However, one small accident could be catastrophic for your staff member and could cause you more problems than you would ever wish for.

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