When you hear the term “workplace recovery,” what images come to mind?
Rows of massage tables? Lines of burning candles and incense? Mini plants surrounded by stones in a peaceful and tranquil meditation room? All these options sound appealing, but that’s not the type of workplace recovery that will keep your business running during a disaster.
When the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the country, forcing employees to work from home (WFH), many wondered if this could be the end of the office as we know it. After all, for many companies, productivity and efficiency remained relatively stable.
But after the initial honeymoon period of WFH wore off and an increasing number of tech troubles, network security concerns and collaboration struggles began popping up, the more executives recognized that this situation wasn’t sustainable over the long haul or as a full-fledged office replacement.
When natural disasters, power outages and cyberattacks shut down your office or other facilities, you need a workplace recovery plan to make sure your employees have the necessary space, connectivity, technology and security infrastructure they need to do their jobs. Unfortunately, a Sungard Availability Services (Sungard AS) survey that was performed by IDC found 43.6% of businesses don’t have full workplace recovery plans.
WFH is often a default choice for companies who don’t have workspace contingencies outlined in their business continuity plans. While this might work in a pinch, home environments often lack the essential elements found in your main office.
Another option is third-party facilities, where shared or dedicated workspaces are contracted out in the form of “seats.”
Workplace recovery facilities provide enterprise-grade equipment and high-speed connectivity that ensures your business can remain up and running during a disaster. You can also tailor these facilities to meet your recovery time objectives (RTOs), compliance requirements and security needs.
Sungard AS recently added greater flexibility to its Dedicated and Shared Workplace Recovery solutions, including infrastructure and connectivity improvements and making the solutions available for both planned and unplanned events.
It’s understandable that most companies immediately turn to WFH when incidents prevent them from using their main offices. However, as we’ve seen lately, remote working comes with its own set of challenges and limitations. This is why it’s important to have a strong workplace recovery plan in place that ensures your employees are prepared – and have a dedicated space to turn to – no matter what incident arises.
Trust us, that’ll give them – and you – more peace of mind than time on a massage table ever will.
Learn more about Sungard AS’ Workplace Recovery Services.