France's December strikes: How Remote Employees Can Prevent Downtime in Your Business

French unions are bracing for December 5th when they go on what is expected to be a hugely disruptive strike, involving railway workers, Metro and bus drivers… As many locals are finding out, losing the railway can mean losing their only way of getting to work.

For businesses, this can create huge problems. But since giving every employee a car isn’t a feasible solution, what can you do to maintain productivity – even when your workforce has no reliable means of reaching the office?

Working Remotely

The concept of remote work may be new to some organisations, but it’s been rising in popularity for several years – especially smaller businesses who rely on freelancers or external contractors to get projects done, without needing to permanently expand their teams (and expenses).

Remote work is simply, work that’s done outside of the office. And remote workers are people who work outside of the office – regardless of whether they’re contractors or employees.

It’s Quite Straightforward, Really

And while allowing employees to work remotely may scare some employers, those who embrace remote work practices usually sing its praises. With remote work as an option, employees tend to be happier as this working arrangement allows them to work from a more relaxing atmosphere and/or look after the children at home while getting work done.

And when it comes to getting work done, remote workers are no less productive than those in the office. In fact, because they’re happier, and saving on travelling time, remote workers can even be more productive than those sitting in cubicles – proving that when it comes to getting work done, it’s all about the mindset, not the location.

Communicating with Audio Conferencing

But what about communications between colleagues? We hear you, and assure you that with the right tools, your remote workers will be just as well-connected as those seated right next to you.  With audio conferencing solutions, you can connect with remote workers from anywhere – not just within France, but around the world.

Best of all, setting up audio conferences takes only seconds. And with today’s high-speed internet and wireless technologies, communication is crystal clear and completely lag-free.  It’s just as good as gathering everyone in the same room. Except now, your business has the capabilities to keep productivity levels up – even when the railways are down.

This could be the perfect opportunity to implement remote working options and audio conferencing solutions in your organisation. With the boost in employee morale and productivity, you may even decide to keep remote working options available all year round.