An Encinitas, Calif.-based hosted VoIP PBX (News - Alert) provider is recommending a solution that can help businesses owners stay productive and help reduce the number of employees who might catch the H1N1, or so-called “swine flu” – telecommuting.

 

FreedomVOICE, the company behind the FreedomIQ hosted VoIP PBX, said telecommuting is the new weapon companies can use to fight the rise of swine flu cases.

 

“If an employee is feeling ill, they should be given the opportunity to work from home if they can still be productive,” said Eric Thomas, CEO of FreedomVOICE (News - Alert) systems, in a statement. “If the entire company is infected with the flu at the same time it could be devastating.”

 

With advancements in telecommunications technology, business owners have a number of options to let employees work from home. One popular method of telecommuting technology is hosted VoIP PBX phone systems, FreedomVoice officials said. The Internet based phone systems, such as FreedomIQ Hosted VoIP PBX, let users connect members of an office, regardless of their location.

 

“FreedomIQ is a VoIP phone system that you can utilize anywhere you have Internet access,” Thomas said. “The device is perfect for telecommuters. It enables unified messaging, advanced call reporting, automatic call distribution and more for a value driven rate.”

 

The benefits are endless. Employees can be reached by phone or e-mail at all times. In addition, they can access the same items as if they were in the office. Employees that use telecommuting should be able to take their computer home or be able to access it remotely. They also should set up a quiet work area where they won’t be distracted and set up a line to forward any work-related calls, Thomas said.

 

Telecommuting is one way smart CEOs can take precautions to help stop the spread of the virus, Thomas said. Such collaboration tools are changing the way employees work and are helping boost productivity. According to a recent Frost & Sullivan (News - Alert) report, about 47 percent of respondents said they have a formal telecommuting policy in place.

 

Other companies are tapping telepresence solutions to stay reduce travel and stay productive. With telepresence and video conferencing solutions, companies can instantly communicate between their home offices, conference rooms and desktops, rather than traveling or working in public areas that can promote the spread of germs.

 

Bob McCandless, CEO of BrightCom, a Huntington Beach, Calif.-based provider of integrated video conferencing and telepresence solutions, recently told TMCnet in an interview that even though employees may not be in an office, businesses don’t need to slow down. They can still be productive and have flu-free meetings.

 

FreedomVOICE devised a list of telecommuting tips for managers who have ill employees: