ConferenceCall.co.uk blog – Page 9 – Conference calling made easy

Published December 15, 2021

How to work from home

Employees are being told to work from home wherever possible as part of the government’s ‘Plan B’ to tackle the Omicron variant of Covid-19 – a new strain that’s thought to be the most transmissible yet.

The coronavirus pandemic has seen more people than ever working from home, and many businesses now use a ‘hybrid’ working system, where employees spend some time at home and some at the office. By the start of December this year, more than two-thirds of staff travelled to work at least once.

More than a third (36%) of British staff did some form of remote working in 2020, according to the Office for National Statistics. And it’s a way working that has caused some strong debate – some have even suggested home workers should be paid less than those that travel into the office.

The truth is, working from home isn’t for everyone. But, if done correctly, it can be a great way of working and keeping a healthy work/life balance. To make sure you’re making the most of telecommuting, here’s how to work from home.

Guides & How-Tos Work from home

flexible working how to work from home

Published November 10, 2021

How to keep your home internet network secure

Is your home under attack from hackers?

If you any wireless devices linked to the internet, such as computers, tablets, games consoles, and smartphones, there’s every chance someone could hack your network and access your data. Even if you have smart devices such as printers and even kettles, you could be at risk of attack.

And you may be completely unaware until it’s too late.

The danger could be even more acute if you work from home and access sensitive or confidential business files via the wireless network.

So it’s vital to keep security tight – here’s how to secure your home network.

Guides & How-Tos Technology Work from home

guide how to technology

Published November 3, 2021

5 things you might miss about working in an office

If the coronavirus lockdown forced you into working remotely, the novelty of being able to wear your pyjamas while working and holding meetings over a conference call may well have worn off by now.

You might even be welcoming some calls from some in government for us all to get back to the office. Even the morning commute might seem like it would offer some respite if you’re sick of working from the spare room.

If you’re hankering for a return to the communal kitchen and your open plan workspace, here are five things you might well be missing about working in the office.

Guides & How-Tos Work from home

flexible working work from home

Published November 2, 2021

Does your business need an open plan office layout?

As we’re all being encouraged to get back to the office, so the state of the space we’re going back to has become all the more important. Although we may have been cramped into a spare room or even the corner of the living while working from home during the pandemic, we were still working from home and able to reap the benefits of that.

But if we’re going back to the office, who wants to be cooped-up in a partitioned workspace? If you’re not interacting with colleagues, you may as well be sat in that cramped corner of the room at home.

So could an open plan office layout be the answer?

Flexible working Inspiration

business flexible working

Published October 28, 2021

Is your job at risk from automation?

Automation is a divisive subject – while automated technology should help make our lives easier and more comfortable, there’s a very real threat it will lead to millions of jobs.

But what jobs are most likely to suffer at the hands of automation? And how safe is your job?

News Technology

Published October 19, 2021

How to make the most of your working day

It’s Monday morning and, if you’re anything like me, you’ll have struggled to even get out of bed this morning, never mind get showered, dressed, fed, and into work – it almost makes you wonder whether Monday mornings are actually worth going into work for.

Of course, there will be those of you out there who spring out of bed on a Monday morning, relishing what the working week has in store, and while job satisfaction has a lot to do with it, your natural body clock and work cycle can’t be underestimated.

So if you’re looking for a good reason to request flexible working so you can stay at home on a Monday morning, read on…

Flexible working Guides & How-Tos Work from home

business guide how to

Published October 13, 2021

Should you be allowed to take children into work?

With the school half-term holidays around the corner, we’re taking a look at whether employees should be able to take their children into work.

Flexible working Small business Work from home

Published October 4, 2021

Top tips for the work from home freelancer

There are around 2.2 million freelancers in the UK, with around 239,000 doing freelancing as a side hustle. That means that more than 1.9 million people freelance as their main job.

But taking the plunge and going freelance can be a pretty daunting experience and not a decision that can be taken lightly – it’s all very well ducking out of the rat race and becoming your own boss, but the sudden realisation you’ve no longer got a steady wage coming in is enough to make you pine for the office politics.

Get it right though – which means keeping your clients happy and delivering on time – and the benefits far outweigh the inevitable panic at the end of the month, so here are some top tips if you’re a work from home freelancer.

Work from home

work from home

Published September 30, 2021

Is working from home ruining work?

It’s no secret that many in government and and at the top of some of the world’s biggest companies want us to stop working from home and return to the office. It was only a matter of weeks ago that a government minister floated the idea that civil servants who work from home should be paid less than those that work from the office.

Meanwhile, Google has stated that it will be handing out pay cuts to US staff who opt to work from home full time.

We think it’s a terrible idea, and employees need to be treated like grown ups – just because you can’t see your staff, it doesn’t mean they’re not working. And what’s the point in adhering to a strict nine-to-five workday?

On the other hand, there is definitely a disconnect when working from home, and we do lose those moments of serendipity when a casual conversation turns into a winning idea for your business.

But it’s all about balance.

Flexible working Work from home

business flexible working work from home

Published September 29, 2021

Essential tools for remote working

The last 18 months have seen more people than ever thrust into a situation where they’ve had to work from home. And as we emerge out the other side, many businesses are considering a ‘remote first’ policy or ‘hybrid’ working (part time home and part time office).

If your business is going to offer remote working, you’ll have to make sure your equipment is up to scratch and employees can work just as well from home as they can from the office.

The trouble is, technology is advancing at a breakneck speed so it can be difficult to work out exactly what equipment will be needed – keeping employees in touch via teleconference is easy enough, but will you need additional hardware and software to enable employees to do their job while on the move?

To help answer this question, here are a few essential tools for businesses on the move…

Flexible working Work from home

flexible working technology work from home

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