Coronavirus sparks interest in work from home and VPN

Coronavirus forces work from home

Government and worldwide health guidelines which came into force after the onset of the coronavirus pandemic have seen a rise in the requirement for companies to allow employees to work from home. There are good reasons for employers and employees to consider remote employment.

Benefits for employers

1. Improved employee retention: loyal employees who enjoy the benefits of working from home.
2. Access to wider pool of applicants: no need to employ locally.
3. Increased staff motivation: as a result of better work/life balance.
4. Productivity gains: fewer interruptions means more focus.
5. Financial savings: save on office space and other facilities.

Benefits for employees

1. No commute: employees save time and money with work from home employment.
2. Stay safe: remote employees self-isolating in their homes are safe from infection or transmitting infection if they have been exposed.
3. Custom office: Employees can set up their home offices as they want to.
4. More focused: No office distractions means employees can focus on getting the job done.
5. Better work/life balance: a benefit of saving time and money due to no commute.

How did Coronavirus affect interest in work from home and VPN

We did a quick review of how the number of searches changed for a few key phrases around remote employment. We found that there was a massive spike in searches on “VPN” and “work from home” towards the end of March 2020 when it became clear that government restrictions on movement would mean employees would have to work from home.

Although this surge in interest is the result of a global disaster, the last time there was a significant rise in searches on VPN is no less scary. This was in 2017, when congress voted to kill all restrictions stopping internet service providers from selling users personal browsing histories to third-party buyers. On that occasion, the reason for the increase in searches is because VPN allows individuals and companies to browse, access, send and receive data and information securely and privately and is an essential component of good network security.