Is A Hybrid Workplace Safe?

As we see the light at the end of the tunnel surrounding this pandemic, companies and businesses are having to make the crucial decision of when they want to return to the workplace, or if they don’t want to return at all. For every company and every line of work, there will be a different answer. There is right way to go about returning to the office because there are still so many unknowns about the virus and what it means for the future.

There are companies, such as Coinbase, Dropbox, and Lincoln Financial Group have set the precedent to let employees work from home permanently. Other companies are requiring individuals to return to work once they are two weeks out of their second dose and are permanently vaccinated. The third options companies are going to implement is a hybrid work from home system where some days are required to be in the office, and the rest of the week can be worked from home.

One of the companies that announced this hybrid work from home policy is monopoly, Apple. On June 2^nd, Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, announced that the company will expect employees to return to the office in a hybrid schedule starting in early September. Apple employees will be required to report to the office on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday with the ability to work from home on Wednesday and Friday.

Apply employees are angry and uneasy about the soon return to the office and those who oppose the hybrid system, sent a letter explaining to Apple why they should continue remote work. Employee happiness and satisfaction is a necessity to a healthy and happy business, but there is a larger concern about the future of remote.

A concern of safety comes into play with hybrid work schedules because of the threat of hackers. Plastered throughout the news these past few weeks, large corporations and businesses like the Colonial Pipeline and JBS, were attacked by cyberhackers. The fear of hackers is a newly eminent fear for companies considering remote work. Cyberhackers have a greater chance of hacking companies when devices are brought from the company network, then at home to persona networks.

Even if there are security measures taken to prevent hackers on personal networks, there is only so much that can be done. As soon as a device leaves a secure network, there is a large room for hackers to wiggle their way into the system. Securing devices have been harder over the pandemic because security teams are spread thin because of the quantity of employees work remotely using different devices and networks.

In order to combat the threat of hackers, the Wall Street Journal suggests that companies should, “Update devices with the latest software patches, strengthen security practices among employees and consider implementing zero-trust systems.”

As the future of remote and hybrid work continues, take time to weigh your options about what is the most beneficial for your company, in terms of both employee happiness and satisfaction and overall security and safety.