Covid-19 and working from home: Let’s be part of the solution

Category: Blog, Case Management 18th March 2020

With government updates on COVID-19 coming thick and fast, it is undoubtedly a challenging time for firms as they try to adapt their businesses in line with the current advice and restrictions that apply in England.At the time of writing, what we do know is that under England’s current lockdown rules, in force since 6 January 2021, people should work from home if they can. The government is urging firms to take every possible step to enable employees to make this happen.

At Osprey we believe it’s our collective social responsibility to do all we can do to restrict our own businesses movements. We also have a very specific responsibility to do all we can to support you in doing the same.

We’re here to help you make the changes necessary to feel confident that your business and staff have all the necessary tools to be able to work seamlessly and securely from home.

Despite restrictions on our ability to return to the office, the world keeps turning and clients still need legal advice. Law is such a client-centred profession, which often relies on face-to-face interaction due to the personal and significant nature of the work, but many firms have adapted working practices to ensure that client advice remains readily accessible.

We are committed to helping you ensure that your firm is able to undertake effective remote working. We recognise that the services you provide are of paramount importance to your clients; if you’re unable to continue providing legal services, then families, small businesses and vulnerable members of society could suffer. It would be reassuring if the one thing your clients can continue to rely on is the service you provide.

Operating effectively during COVID-19 restrictions

There are a number of options available to help your firm continue to operate during this uncertain time, and we have a range of support resources being updated daily to provide the assistance you need.

The tools required for effective remote working are already at our disposal in Osprey Approach:

  • dedicated apps for mobile and tablet devices;
  • new Windows apps for desktop and laptop computers;
  • Office 365 Add-ins for Word and Outlook; and
  • our browser-based interface.

The challenge now is to ensure the widest adoption possible because these tools will quite literally keep law firms operating throughout lockdown.

Our support teams are working hard to get more firms up and running remotely, as well as advising on solutions for sharing documents and correspondence with clients in a safe way.

For instance, there are effective ways of allowing clients to submit sensitive information and documents directly to you through a secure portal. This avoids the dangers of email interception, unnecessary travel or physical contact.

Having moved everything to the cloud almost 20 years ago, we’re in a hugely advantageous position to assist you in making the necessary arrangements for your own office.

At a time when everybody should be pulling together, please let us know how we can help you.