Our reality was shaken up in March 2020 with the pandemic. The majority of companies had to turn very quickly to telework, and a new way of working was established. Telecommuting has quickly become crucial for the survival of companies, and Quebecers seem to love this new reality. According to ADP Canada, a firm specializing in human resources management, nearly six out of ten Quebecers (59%) prefer to work remotely.
In this article we will focus on the evolution of telework, before 2020 versus now.
Teleworking Before 2020
We may forget it, but before 2020, telework was a daily reality for some! In 2006, TELUS introduced a flexible work program. Many of their employees had therefore already adopted this working method prior to the pandemic. In fact, TELUS estimates that it has saved $50 million in office space rentals over a 10-year period.
Prior to the pandemic, approximately 13% of workers in the country performed at least some of their work duties from home – but. your employer could not force you to telecommute unless it was mentioned in your contract, as working from home could be considered an invasion of your privacy.
Many employers were resistant to telework, as they had many preconceptions regarding this working method. And many employees feared missing important information and career opportunities by not being physically present in the office. Telecommuting had very low growth before the pandemic in Canada.
In addition, the IT tools offered to companies were not as well adapted as they are today, making the lives of those who did work from home that much harder.
Since The Start Of The Pandemic
Telecommuting has slowed the spread of Covid-19, and a new era of telework has thus emerged, bringing new software with it into our daily routine. And as a result, business leaders are more and more comfortable with teleworking.
The transition to working from home was done very quickly, and IT teams had to deploy rapidly to meet all the new demands. Initially, employees were not necessarily well equipped to work from home.
A lot of software, as well as numerous training courses, are now available to improve your telework techniques. For example, we offer complete training on Microsoft 365, a platform that offers many solutions for team collaboration and improving the dynamics of teleworking. Microsoft regularly offers updates to make your remote working user experience even more enjoyable.
We also regularly post tips on our blog to help you make good use of all the tools available to you – for example, useful information for sharing your screen with Microsoft Teams.
The pandemic also meant it became vital for companies to fully understand the cybersecurity ramifications of teleworking, to encrypt certain data to protect confidential projects, and to protect themselves against other web threats. We also offer training on this subject.
In Short
In your opinion, has the pandemic permanently transformed the world of teleworking? There’s no question that the popularity of telecommuting has skyrocketed over the past year. Better software and cybersecurity are now essential for companies. Do not hesitate to contact us for more information on our training courses.
If you have more questions, we invite you to contact an expert at 1-888-877-3365, or through our online form here.
