New research by IDC states that more than two thirds of employees are already doing some of their work outside the office each week. Mobile devices are becoming more integrated into the work flow of a normal day and BYOD (bring your own device) is increasingly being encouraged by employers.
 
The results of the IDC research show that staff are more likely to travel alone whether in the field or on location. Working from home at least three days a week is more common and there is a steady increase in those who use their own personal mobile devices while working. Mobile working is also increasingly being used as an incentive for employees in place of a pay rise and this trend is only set to increase.
 
But as these trends are rapidly becoming the norm in most organizations, the policies in place to ensure the security of the organization and the safety of the mobile worker are slow to catch up.
 
As an employer the biggest risks you need to be aware of with increased mobile working are:
 
The security of your data – With increased mobile working comes a higher risk of data loss, and a mobile working policy needs to take into consideration the protection of data in case of unintentional harm to the company.
 
The safety of your staff – As employees travel, work from home and deliver goods, you as an employer have a responsibility for their personal safety. A mobile worker protection solution which is flexible and caters for BYOD within your organization will enhance the safety of mobile workers within your organization.
 
Employers need to embrace not only the efficiencies of mobile working and BYOD policies but also the responsibilities for data and worker protection that come from these evolutions in technology.
 
Policies need to be put in place that will provide guidelines to managers and employees for the most effective use of mobile technology and the best health and safety practices in a mobile workplace.. Not putting any policy in place puts your company at a greater security risk, risk of liability for breach of health and safety laws and ultimately leaves your mobile working staff in vulnerable working environments with only limited tools to ensure their personal safety.
 
Let’s be proactive in safeguarding organizations and staff. As technology advances, the workplace will become more and more flexible. We will be able to work from anywhere on a wide variety of devices – hopefully with the assurance of data security and personal safety.