How firms move to secret offices amid Covid-19 – By Chris Baraniuk (BBC) / March 23 2020
From 9/11 to coronavirus, big emergencies call for big responses – like how some firms move to secret empty offices in undisclosed locations to stay safe.
Some people call them “ghost offices”. These are buildings in suburbs and secure locations that are kept quietly on standby – for years on end. You might walk by one and never pay any attention to it. They have little or no signage. A high fence and some security cameras, perhaps.
But inside are rows and rows of desks just waiting to be used in the event of a disaster – a safe place to bolt to if the regular office is inaccessible or even destroyed.
Terrorist attacks. Natural disasters. And yes, pandemics. These are just a few of the events that might cause a company to abruptly ditch their usual building and relocate staff to a backup office – also known as a “disaster recovery” or “business continuity” site.
And now, sadly, a crisis is really upon us. In response to the novel and fast-spreading coronavirus, companies including large banks have been rapidly activating such contingency plans.
‘Disaster recovery’ sites are alternatives to working from home, which isn’t possible for all employees
The idea is that, should the virus hit a company’s main office, staff at the backup facility will be able to keep doing their jobs. It’s an alternative to working from home, which isn’t possible for all employees, including those who deal with commercially sensitive information, for example.
Some companies keep name cards or lanyards on the silently waiting desks so that, when workers arrive, they immediately know where to sit. Computers, telephones and business software are all kept ready at some locations, too. The buildings themselves might be ring-fenced with tight security. Or be built to withstand hurricanes or earthquakes.
Not all businesses can afford to have these dedicated facilities at their disposal, but backup offices can prove crucial to the survival and safety of certain companies whenever crisis hits. Often, disruptive situations only last a few days or weeks. But with coronavirus potentially lasting well into 2021, firms may find themselves relying on backup offices much longer than ever before.
Continue to article: https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20200320-how-firms-move-to-secret-offices-amid-covid-19
