Office Revolution: How Companies Are Adapting to Hybrid WFH

Work from home (WFH) policies can translate to major savings for businesses — but how do companies safely and efficiently equip employees with the hardware they need to succeed?

• Shipping computer hardware and other similar equipment is one of the largest logistical challenges.
• Companies can reduce shipping costs with the use of inflatable cushioning, foam solutions, and bubble cushioning packaging solutions.
• Operate unused office space as equipment storage. Pro tip: Airspeed ChamberPak, MINI PAK'R, and Easypack Quantum XT systems can transform desks into packing and shipping stations.

For years, experts have predicted that working from home (WFH) will become the future for most office jobs. But before the COVID-19 pandemic, only 3.6 percent of U.S. employees worked from home at least part-time and 43 percent took advantage of occasional WFH days, according to Global Workplace Analytics.

What’s more, only 5.4 percent of those employed in the E.U. worked outside the office. So when buildings suddenly closed at the beginning of 2020, it created one of the biggest disruptions the modern workforce had ever experienced — for employees and the companies that employ them.

With social distancing mandates in effect through 2021 — and possibly beyond — companies are scrambling to get employees the equipment they need to work efficiently at home.

Here’s how to handle these unprecedented demands:

Sending the Office Home

Whether you’re setting up your existing workforce or onboarding new employees, here’s how to get your team the equipment they need for their home office:

Technology Kits

Computers are arguably the most important equipment that an employee needs. Corporate set-ups might include a hard-drive, keyboard, mouse, multiple monitors, docking stations, or an additional laptop. Therefore, companies that require highly secure equipment, such as those in finance or government, are creating “tech kits” to ship to their employees.

Think about it: Packing all equipment into a single box is one of the best ways to minimize shipping costs. In this case, the AirSpeed ChamberPak and MINI PAK’R systems can be used to secure inflatable cushioning around merchandise for in-the-box protection. These solutions are versatile enough to fully wrap around smaller items and create protective pouches or be molded to serve as corner protection for larger pieces. Air pillows can fulfill a similar purpose. Best of all, these solutions work without adding additional weight to packages.  

Home Office Furniture

Ergonomic chairs and standing desks are critical for maintaining the productivity and health of workers. When working from home, file cabinets are also a necessity to organize and maintain structure.

Shipping heavy furniture like this results in its own challenges. Foam in place and engineered foam plank solutions have the highest cushioning properties. These are ideal for preventing damage and movement within a package, especially for heavy weight or fragile items, or items with delicate finishes. For surfaces prone to scratching, protective films keep furniture in pristine condition until they’re out of the box. (They’re great for computer monitors, too).

Note: Increased demand for home office furniture provides opportunities for manufacturers to sell directly to consumers. However, original equipment manufacturer (OEM) packaging does not provide enough protection to ensure items can be delivered intact. Contact Pregis IQ to find solutions for the products you want to ship.

The Office as a Hub

For companies preparing to return to the office, many have reorganized their spaces to accommodate social distancing, including ordering more furniture pieces and placing partitions between workstations. With in-office client meetings likely to remain on pause, large investments are being made to AV equipment to improve the quality of teleconferencing.

Other companies have converted their unused office space into temporary equipment and shipping hubs, storing tech hardware and office furniture needed for WFH employees. Therefore, consider transforming unused office space into a tech shipment packing area. The MINI PAK’R is ideal for small corporate environments, as it easily fits atop desks or tables, instantly converting a surface into a packing station with minimal to no changes to the overall office layout.

Sending Equipment Back

As employees shift between roles and companies, it’s important to develop a plan to recover WFH equipment.

Consider sending parcel packages to employees with return labels, packing materials, and detailed instructions for securing equipment in the boxes. Include bubble cushioning in the box, allowing smaller hardware to be seamlessly wrapped and protected. For electronics that are sensitive to electrical build-up, be sure to use solutions such as E-Z Stat Anti-Static or Electrostatic Discharge packaging. Foam bags and pouches can also be useful for equipment such as software discs or keyboards. 

Though the pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges to companies worldwide, some estimate that U.S. employers are saving more than $30 billion per day (€25,477,707,000) with office-less operations. When social distancing policies are lifted, the increased productivity and cost savings associated with WFH may very well lead to a new paradigm of remote work, at least part-time. Will your company be ready?

Need help streamlining packaging and shipping for WFH equipment?

Contact Pregis today