Since BP scaled up the use of remote working software during the coronavirus lockdown, Richard Heron has focused on mitigating the downsides. As chief medical officer at the oil major, he has tracked a three-fold growth in the past three months in the volume of online meetings using the Microsoft Teams platform and instant messages across the business.
“The conundrum is harnessing the power of technology while not becoming a slave to it,” Mr Heron says. “We should be helping people to take a break from their workstation rather than facilitating them spending more time on the laptop.”
Video conferencing, electronic messaging and remote access to data have helped many people to work from home, and in some ways to be more in touch with their customers and colleagues, supervisors and senior executives. Yet Mr Heron cautions that more managers should be tracking their use to limit the impact on physical and mental health.