As we enjoy the final summer days of August, a return to the office may be just around the corner for many workers. Plans for the Federal government include hundreds of thousands of employees returning to the office after Labor Day, with a full return to in-person by the end of the year. Small and mid-sized businesses in the DC area are likely to follow suit – of course depending on COVID-19 pandemic numbers.
I’ve put together this back to work IT checklist to help companies ensure a smooth transition. Follow these technology considerations to make sure your organization is ready:
Take Inventory
Determine what equipment employees are required to bring back to the office and what will stay home. While laptops can easily travel back and forth, monitors and printers are much more cumbersome and difficult to move. Order replacements to fill any gaps for missing or broken hardware. Don’t forget to consider new hires who may not yet have been to the office. We’re still seeing pandemic-related supply chain delays, so get those orders in as soon as possible.
Restart Idle Equipment
Have someone turn on any computers that have been idle in the office while employees were remote. They’re likely in need of software updates like the recent Microsoft 21H1. You don’t want the first day back to be a medley of “Working on updates… Don’t turn off your computer”. Invario can help. Reach out to help@invario.net if you would like to request a technician visit your office so that everything is ready when employees arrive.
Keep Physical Security Top of Mind
A few weeks back an individual walked into our headquarters dressed as a delivery person wearing a mask and gloves. Seconds later I caught him in an empty office rifling through my laptop bag. I was lucky to interrupt him before he could do any real damage. However, this could have ended badly. The back to work scenario creates a golden opportunity for criminals – they can easily use masks to hide their identity; or pose as a new co-worker or building tenant that you’ve never met in person before. Don’t be fooled. Keep an eye on anyone coming into the office and don’t hesitate to ask for credentials before letting someone you don’t know walk through the door.
Don’t Let Sick Computers Into the Office
Ask your IT team to perform a computer health check to ensure machines coming back to the office have the proper software versions. They can confirm everything is up to date (antivirus, patches, applications, etc.) so any security holes related to outdated software are plugged.
Leave Personal Data at Home
When the lines between work and home blurred, users may have gotten into the habit of storing personal information on their work computers. Ask employees to remove any personal data that might have ended up on their work computers. Family vacation pictures and the kids’ Netflix movies don’t need to come back to work with your employees.
Plan for Ongoing Remote Access
Keep your technology updated to support virtual workers. Telecommuting was critical for business continuity in the COVID-19 era and can also be useful for work-life balance and cost-savings.
Invario implemented a fully remote option back in the dark ages of the year 2000. This experience was invaluable when it came to enabling our customers for remote work, many of them for the first time. Today, our team prefers being together in an office environment because it fosters greater collaboration and teamwork. However, it’s nice to know we can thrive no matter what the pandemic throws at us.
Update Business Continuity Plans
The pandemic demonstrated the importance of business continuity plans. When coming back to work, it’s a good time to review your plans and make any updates. For example, do employees know what to do if the office needs to close again? A good business continuity plan means your company will be ready when the next crisis hits.
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Referral$
If you know of a company that would be interested in the services of Invario, please email me the company name along with the phone number and email for the person we should contact.
That is all you have to do! Upon completion of the onboarding of a new customer, Invario will pay the equivalent of one month of Invario service to that customer. Recipients that cannot or do not wish to receive a referral payment may elect to have the referral fee donated to a charity of their choice or put into a company entertainment fund.
Referral$
If you know of a company that would be interested in the services of Invario, please email me the company name along with the phone number and email for the person we should contact.
That is all you have to do! Upon completion of the onboarding of a new customer, Invario will pay the equivalent of one month of Invario service to that customer. Recipients that cannot or do not wish to receive a referral payment may elect to have the referral fee donated to a charity of their choice or put into a company entertainment fund.