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Coronavirus can be a cause for concern in the general population. However, it also has the potential to cause significant disruption to businesses if it continues to spread at a similar rate. The governments contingency plans are preparing for a scenario where up to a fifth of the workforce may be off sick during the peak of a coronavirus epidemic. In order to contain the virus and prevent it from spreading further, measures such as requiring people to work from home may be enacted.
If you were required to work from home, does your business have the technology in place for home working? Many companies now use cloud-based email and even have remote desktop software to allow employees to access software from home. However, are you able to access and use your office phone from home? VoIP technology is available that will allow you to do exactly that but not all companies have adopted it. In this article, we explore how VoIP can help your business prepare for home working and minimise disruption in your business.
Preventing Coronavirus Disruption With VoIP
Working from home can be the ideal solution for businesses, especially those with the technology to run their operations remotely. If your organisation has a VoIP phone system, it is possible for your employees to access their work phone from home. Using a VoIP handset at home with an internet connection will allow your employees to make and receive calls, listen to their voicemails and communicate with their colleagues as if they were using their office phone. This empowers your workforce to continue working without causing disruption to your business operations.
VoIP services can ensure that any disruption experienced by your customers is kept to a minimum as staff will be able to answer customer calls and retrieve their messages. This means that for your customers, your business remains open and ready for business.
As always, the phrase, ‘fail to plan, prepare to fail’ is very relevant for businesses. Adopting VoIP is an effective measure that your business could take to prevent Coronavirus disruption and ensure that your business can continue operating.
Responding To Coronavirus Developments With VoIP
The flexibility offered by a VoIP phone system could be particularly valuable if the number of Coronavirus cases increase further as they are expected to or if any of your employees are required to self-isolate if they experience any Coronavirus symptoms.
Once you have adopted a cloud-based VoIP system, your business will be ready to proactively respond to Coronavirus developments. If for example, cases do dramatically increase you will be able to take a balanced decision about closing the office and requiring your employees to work from home. If you do decide to close the office, you will be able to rest assured that you are taking account of your employees’ welfare while also ensuring that your business can continue to operate.
Google has already taken to the decision to require thousands of staff who are based at its European headquarters in Dublin to work from home after one of its employees had flu-like symptoms. If your business has to make a decision similar to that of Google, you will be prepared for home working with VoIP.
If one of your employees are required to self-isolate, with VoIP you can redirect their calls to an alternative number/member of staff or forward their calls to their VoIP handset at home. This ensures that no calls are missed and that any periods of self-isolation do not negatively impact your business.
Prepare Your Business For Coronavirus And Home Working With VoIP
CFone is ready to help your business prepare for Coronavirus by providing our cloud-based VoIP system, which will allow your employees to work from home and use their phone as if they were in the office. Adopting VoIP will help your business prevent Coronavirus related disruption and respond to Coronavirus developments.
We offer a next-day dispatch and delivery service for many of our VoIP handsets and we are available to help you in the unlikely event that you encounter any issues with your VoIP system. You can choose a VoIP plan, select a phone number and choose your VoIP handsets using our phone number picker.
If you have any questions about our Business VoIP phone systems, call our team today on: 020 8573 1177 or contact us.
