NEWS

Virtual offices can reduce the spread of illness and keep your workforce healthy

There are many benefits of a virtual office - reduced costs, flexibility, and a prime business address the most obvious. But one lesser-considered advantage is that a virtual office can greatly reduce the spread of sickness - an important factor for anyone running a business or employing staff.

Today's modern, open-plan offices - whilst an excellent way to encourage collaboration between colleagues and fully utilise office space - are also a hotbed for transmitting illnesses. A simple cold, tummy bug or even a more serious case - such as Swine Flu - can be spread quickly by colleagues who come to the office when sick.

In fact, according to Absence Anonymous - a company who help resolve absenteeism in the workplace - the average level of absence is eight days per employee per year, which results in 3.5% lost in working time. Also, an employee absence survey from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development shows that absenteeism costs employers an average of £659 per employee every year, which is considered a 'significant cost' to over 90% of businesses.

However, when a business signs up to a virtual office they frequently use their home as their physical office. As a result, sick workers are not bringing their illness to a central point where they can pass it on to their colleagues or other individuals.

Working remotely gives the employee the tools to work in an environment - whether it's from home, their bed, or the garden shed - so they can isolate themselves if their illness is contagious. For some, a cold or tummy bug doesn't prevent them from working, but the commute to get to the office can be an exhausting process that results in a day off sick.

By equipping workers with the tools to work remotely, the employee has the option to tidy up any loose ends quickly and efficiently, or even get through a few hours of work, before curling up in bed.

However, for those with a physical office, all too often employees will force themselves into the workplace in order to meet an important deadline. But according to Dr Vinesh Oommen of the Queensland University of Technology's Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, this increases the risk of spreading illnesses around more quickly.

Dr Oommen also states that open-plan offices relate to more serious conditions, such as high blood pressure:

"In 90 per cent of the research, the outcome of working in an open-plan office was seen as negative, with open-plan offices causing high levels of stress, conflict, high blood pressure, and a high staff turnover."

In addition, the research also points to other issues such as lack of productivity:

"The high level of noise causes employees to lose concentration, leading to low productivity. There are privacy issues because everyone can see what you are doing on the computer or hear what you are saying on the phone, and there is a feeling of insecurity."

Therefore the virtual office is an effective solution to staff wellbeing. Not only does it allow employees to work from home in a private environment away from the bustle of an open-plan office, it also helps reduce the spread of illness when workers become sick.

To find out more about how a virtual office can benefit your business, and for guidance on finding and securing a virtual office in one of many UK locations, contact one of our friendly consultants for free expert help and advice, or start searching on our homepage at www.virtualofficeworld.com.