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Workers
Basically, what the question boils down to is this: should your company fund its own devices for its employees to use, or should you let these workers use devices they already own? At first glance, the latter might seem the cheaper and more streamlined way of doing things, but the choice isn’t quite that simple.
Implementing a BYOD – that stands for bring-your-own-device – strategy in your business can incur a range of costs that might not be manifested entirely clearly until much further down the line. That’s why your firm needs to tread carefully when trying to decide whether it should really opt for the BYOD approach.
BYOD: a strategy that makes sense on paper
If your company’s finances are under strain, as is surely the case for many businesses, you might not want to hesitate in enacting a BYOD policy. After all, according to research mentioned by Karen D Schwartz in an article on Samsung’s website, 77% of Americans have a smartphone and constantly keep it with them.
However, the problems start when your company wants to keep a tight check on what goes onto those devices. In order to go ahead with that, your firm will need to install, onto each of the applicable mobile devices, the client for what is known as a mobile device management (MDM) platform.
Some of your employees could be reluctant to have such software installed on their phone, perhaps fearing what privacy implications could arise from their employer being able to monitor work activities they undertake on what are supposed to be predominantly personal devices.
Would furnishing company-owned devices be a better alternative?
It would have obvious financial drawbacks, especially for smaller businesses that could be somewhat cash-strapped compared to their better-established competitors. In the long run, however, the tactic could help to pay for itself more effectively than keeping up a BYOD policy would.
Naturally, you would have to make room in your business budget for buying devices through the company. On the plus side, though, you could choose to buy multiple units of the same device model – and, in the process, make savings by capitalizing on the likes of negotiated discount rates and volume discounts.
Which choice would bode best for security?
This is a tricky question to answer confidently. On the one hand, many workers are likely to want to regularly upgrade to new devices of their own accord, as The Balance Careers implies. Therefore, you might not yourself have to put your staff under too much pressure to replace their devices in this way.
However, people might not always keep on top of security updates with their personal handsets as much as they would with company-owned devices, on which you could install enterprise mobility management (EMM) software to ensure that the latest security patches are added as they arrive.
All the same, though, your company could easily require either BYOD or company-owned devices to use Wandera’s zero trust network access solution so that a wide array of work practices can be completed securely.
During recent weeks the world witnessed several landmark events. Leaders of nations big and small were forced to make difficult decisions. The global nature of the pandemic and the ensuing crisis changed the face of globalization itself. These changes often had mixed results. Here is a quick look at some of these trends.
Global commerce vs. local priorities
While the pandemic was spreading, most countries shut off their borders to all but essential movement. However the restrictions soon expanded into the economic and other domains. In March India placed a ban on the global export of hydroxychloroquine, a drug that showed promise for treating coronavirus. The US government stopped the export of masks to Canada under the Defense Production Act. Widespread logistical issues caused fears about international cooperation breaking down. Most of these challenges were caused by the disruption of key global supply chains.
Governments and firms are now looking at models that can shift their reliance away from overseas suppliers. Large corporations are trying to move from global just-in-time supply to more controllable local sourcing. The Harvard Business Review predicted in May that public opinion about globalization is likely to permanently change.
Empowerment of leadership
Many world leaders did their utmost to combat the impacts of COVID-19. However, some countries seemed to have exceptionally effective strategies. Nations that suffered fewer losses from the pandemic greatly credited their national leaders for their effective policies and timely response. These leaders became exceptionally popular and empowered. For example, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen quickly closed off the country’s borders and initiated a lockdown in early March. This helped reduce the number of effective cases considerably. According to a July poll by the statistics portal Statista, 76% of the Danish people now support her.
Vietnamese President Nguyễn Phú Trọng issued a guidance on outbreak prevention and detection as early as January 21. In June the IMF reported that because of this proactive approach Vietnam will make a quicker economic recovery than other countries in the region. The president gained considerable popularity for his proactive decisions.
One trend has been consistent globally. Populations have depended on their national leaders to make sound judgments, and follow them up with decisive action. Narratives from around the world give evidence that in a crisis people are willing to empower their leaders with unbounded trust and support. In coming years we are likely to see a new wave of global leadership characterized by bold decisions and bolder actions.
Gender and leadership
Female state leaders might be seen in a different light after the pandemic. A June publication by The Harvard Business Review mentions that countries with women in leadership have suffered six times fewer confirmed deaths from COVID-19 than countries with governments led by men. This indicates that the role of gender in world leadership is likely to change.
International collaboration
The global media was quick to highlight the “me first” kind of behavior from prominent leaders of the world. Yet, there was plenty of cross-border cooperation motivated by a “let’s work together” ideology. This was particularly evident in the scientific community. Scientists in Australia and China collectively analyzed the COVID-19 genome. They made it freely available to help speed up the global vaccine research. To this end health experts from all continents regularly share information on various online communication platforms. Clinical trials are being conducted on a global scale.
Flow of information
In some ways the present crisis has brought nations closer together, and unified them with a stream of essential data. In March a team of 300 engineers joined forces to build a 3D-printed ventilator on Facebook under the Open Source COVID-19 Medical Supplies initiative. In May UNESCO organized a global hackathon to find solutions for controlling COVID-19. More than 165 participants from 26 countries contributed to the event. Some of the ongoing open source projects to fight the crisis are unprecedented in their global scale and scope. The Institute of Management Development predicts that the world may well become more globalized, at least in terms of the flow of ideas and solutions, if not products.
The gig economy
While corporations try to find ways to localize the supply of materials, the exact opposite is taking place in human resources. Organizations big and small are seeking remote workers and gig workers. Gig work is now being done at scale. With cost-effectiveness a priority, organizations are no longer averse to hiring overseas and temp workers. It is easy for businesses to send money online to pay their contract workers regardless of geography. The reliance on full-time workers is in decline. According to Deloitte’s ‘Future of Work Accelerated’ report, 60% of organizations are estimating an increase on the reliance of gig workers. These new trends are powering the gig economy.
About the author:
Hemant G is a contributing writer at Sparkwebs LLC, a Digital and Content Marketing Agency. When he’s not writing, he loves to travel, scuba dive, and watch documentaries.
Experts report that there were 2.8 reported injuries per 100 full-time workers in the United States in 2018.
Many of these would have been minor, requiring little or no treatment. However, many more would have been serious enough to warrant ongoing care.
In these cases, workers should be entitled to treatment from workers’ comp doctors. However, not every doctor treats workers’ compensation patients.
Read on to learn more about what doctors accept workers’ compensation, and how to find them.
What Is Workers’ Compensation?
Workers’ compensation protects employees when they suffer illnesses or injuries as a result of their activities at work.
It covers a broad range of conditions, including almost any physical injury. The most common injuries are overexertion injuries, slip-related injuries, and fall-related injuries.
Workers comp may also cover mental illnesses, although causation here is more difficult to prove.
The employer is the party who is liable for payment. However, workers’ comp insurance is widely available to provide cover here, and is actually legally required in every state except Texas.
The payment provides for medical treatment as well as lost earnings.
How to Find Workers’ Comp Doctors
As mentioned above, not every doctor deals with workers’ compensation cases. To get ongoing treatment for a condition you developed at work, you will have to find a specialist Workers’ Compensation Doctor.
These are doctors that the state government approves as providers of workers’ compensation care. You may have to find such a doctor yourself, but your employer might direct you to one in some cases.
You should note that you don’t need to go to a workers’ comp provider for your initial assessment. Your usual healthcare provider (or an emergency room doctor) is acceptable for this.
While ongoing care is provided for by the workers’ compensation scheme, there are limits to your entitlements. For instance, you will only be allowed a certain number of physiotherapy or massage therapy visits under your workers’ comp plan.
What If My Employer Won’t Pay?
As noted above, workers’ compensation insurance is generally mandatory. However, many employers will still try to escape liability in order to protect their low insurance premiums.
The easiest way for an employer to do this is to attempt to prove that your injury did not arise as a result of your working activities. This is easier in some cases than in others.
For example, if you fall off a height and break your leg at work, it will be impossible for your employer to argue that you weren’t injured at work.
On the other hand, if your injury arose because of repetitive strain, your employer might be able to make a convincing argument that you sustained it due to activities carried out outside the workplace.
Getting the Care You Need
If you’ve suffered an injury, the first thing on your mind will be recovering from it. Workers’ comp doctors can help you take the first step and guide you through the entire process.
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