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Here’s a way to save workers from fuel hikes: let them work remotely

South Africans are bracing for yet another fuel price hike in November and Cisco has posited a novel way of dealing with increases – stop making employees travel into work everyday.

Perhaps this is a pipe dream but in a bit of a peak behind the veil, Hypertext has been working remotely for close on three years now with the team meeting once or twice a week at a central location to touch base.

Now of course, running a technology website isn’t a widespread business but Cisco general manager for Sub-Saharan Africa, Clayton Naidoo (pictured above), says many jobs don’t require coming into an office everyday.

“Most travels involve driving to and from workplaces every day. While many jobs still require a physical presence, at Cisco we believe we need to think about the way work has evolved, especially when it comes to knowledge workers. Chances are it’s no longer a 9 to 5 job and it does not need to take place in the office. In today’s digital world, it’s all about productive teamwork, anytime, anywhere,” explains Naidoo.

The GM continues by saying that if companies let employees work from home or anywhere they are comfortable, large office spaces would no longer be needed and water and energy costs would be reduced.

Beyond that, employees won’t pump a large chunk of their salary into their vehicles everyday.

“It is worthwhile for local businesses to explore this global trend and invest in digital tools that allow meetings to take place virtually. There are tools that offer full office capabilities and team collaboration without employees having to get into their vehicles,” says Naidoo.

Naturally there are some jobs employees wouldn’t be able to do remotely but it’s worth considering for those jobs that don’t require it.

Solutions such as Slack provide a great way for teams to stay in touch throughout the day via instant messaging. However, if you prefer a more visual medium Cisco offers Webex a video conferencing platform that integrates with a number of devices.

Whatever solution your business considers, it’s important to consider security as well.

With rising fuel costs not disappearing anytime soon something is bound to break and companies should act now before employees and bottom lines suffer.

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