Many companies allow their employees to bring their own laptops and tablets into the workspace and use them for work purposes. It’s actually a move that can benefit employers. They won’t have to spend money on additional equipment for those individuals, while the employees themselves can work from devices that they are familiar with and that they’ve customised according to their own needs. These devices could also come with a variety of handy computing accessories that they might want to bring to the office in order to make completing their work easier. These could include wireless keyboards, mouses, laptop bags, power banks and docking stations.

However, if you, as a business owner, allow your employees to use their own laptops, tablets or smartphones at work, then there are a few important considerations you have to make them aware of. They have to think about how and when they’re using their devices, and how this might impact their colleagues and the business in general. So here are some important BYOD tips that you should consider giving them.

Keep information safe and private

Chances are your employees have important work material stored on their devices that they can access when they’re working away from their desks, on a business trip, or even outside of work hours in case the need arises. The issue here is the security of their devices and, if they need to work online, the security of the wireless internet network they’ve signed into. What with cyber attacks being such a prevalent threat to all organisations and establishments, you don’t want anyone hacking into your employees’ devices and seeing the private work-related information they might have stored on them.

This is why you need to make your employees aware about how important cybersecurity is to your company and how they can navigate their way around data threats. Remind them to take basic security measures in order to keep work-related material safe from prying eyes. These measures include creating strong passwords for their devices and for the file hosting service your company might be using, such as Google Drive. 

Be respectful and disciplined

Let your employees know when it’s appropriate to use their devices. It’s very easy for someone to check their Skype or WhatsApp messages in an important meeting. Actions like these will distract people from what’s going on around them, and this can also reflect a certain level of disrespect for the individuals conducting those meetings. Instil a sense of discipline regarding the use of devices within office environments.

Have some peace of mind

Some business insurance providers can cover damage to your employees’ devices should the need arise. Before implementing a BYOD policy, make sure you’ve contacted your own insurance provider and asked them if they provide this kind of coverage. If they don’t, then might have to rethink your BYOD policy or find a different business insurance provider. If you do come across an insurer that provides suitable coverage for your employee’s devices, then you’ll be able to give those employees some peace of mind. They won’t have to worry about finding insurance for their laptops, tablets or smartphones, as you’ve already handled that for them.

BYOD is prevalent in the work environment but there are rules that must be laid down regarding the use of one’s own device at work. Make sure your employees store and transfer information safely, are using those devices for work purposes, and aren’t getting too distracted by applications and platforms that have nothing to do with work. Also try and find a business insurance provider that will cover damages to your employees’ devices. This will give you and your employees some peace of mind.