Since the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown began in March 2020, more and more people have been working from home. As the restrictions begin to lift, organisations are now evaluating whether they need the entire workforce to return to their place of work, or whether staff are able to WFH (work from home) on a permanent basis.
Keeping a remote workforce connected and communicating effectively long term is going to be a challenge, perhaps even more so than during the height of the pandemic when there appeared to be an end in sight.
This new way of working has resulted in a huge growth in the use of professional messaging platforms. As early as the first week of April, LinkedIn reported a 14% uplift in messaging over the previous year, while Slack said the average number of messages sent on its platform increased by 20% compared to the end of 2019. Our own platform for professional messaging, Guild, saw a 120% increase in the total messages sent for the three months after 23 March 2020 (the date UK lockdown began), compared with the previous period.
The use of consumer messaging apps has likewise rocketed. WhatsApp usage shot up by 40% during the lockdown as people needed an easy to use, free and accessible method of keeping in touch with family and friends.
This explosive growth is not surprising given that digital communications became a requirement almost overnight. However, while there has been growth in platforms designed specifically for professional communications and collaboration, a huge number of businesses and professionals are still using consumer messaging apps such as WhatsApp to stay in touch while working remotely, which could be putting their businesses at risk.
There are three main factors that make WhatsApp a risky choice for business communication when working from home that organisations need to be aware of:
- It appears to be against WhatsApp’s terms of use
WhatsApp’s own legal terms prohibit it being used for non-personal purposes. Its terms clearly state: “You will not use (or assist others in using) our Services in ways that involve any non-personal use.”
- WhatsApp and compliance with data privacy laws
Many businesses and legal experts feel it is impossible to use WhatsApp in a GDPR compliant way. Lack of explicit consent when adding other users, lack of ability to delete information after an hour, lack of ability to request your own message data, and data being transferred outside the EU means that it’s unlikely that WhatsApp is compliant with GDPR. The penalties and fines for GDPR infringements are severe.
- Corporate governance and legal obligations
No matter how large or small a business is, they all have legal obligations around protecting their employees and ensuring adequate levels of oversight, governance and control. This includes protection against bullying, harassment or inappropriate behaviours in the workplace. Businesses also need to adequately control access to sensitive commercial information, such as client records, financial information, and contracts.
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When it comes to WhatsApp in the workplace, it’s hard to know what groups exist, who is in them, or whether former employees or contractors still have access. Some of the material shared within the app may be NSFW (Not Safe for Work), which could be deemed abusive or harmful. Messages which might be inappropriate or damaging can be seen or retrieved, even if deleted on a user’s device. This means if an admin removes a member from a WhatsApp group, they cannot revoke access to the content, which might be commercially sensitive, unless the user deletes that content from their device.
Businesses have varying degrees of legal obligation to keep a record of conversations amongst their employees, suppliers, or other stakeholders. Should legal challenges or other problems arise whereby they need to provide a record of conversations with WhatsApp, there is far less visibility, and in some cases, no such record of conversations, meaning that companies are at risk of failing in their legal obligations.
How can businesses stay in touch with WFH employees while minimising risk?
There is no doubt that the pandemic resulted in businesses having to act quickly to provide employees alternative and expeditious ways to communicate. There’s also no doubt that many businesses didn’t have time to adequately assess the potential risks.
The explosion in messaging brings many benefits to businesses. However, it’s crucial that as working from home becomes the ‘new normal’, that the tools and technology used are fit for purpose and compliant.
Organisations need to provide free or very affordable ways of communicating with remote teams, like consumer messaging apps, but look for the privacy, security, control and regulatory compliance necessary for professional use.
An ecosystem of messaging apps designed for professional use is emerging, which ensure compliance with the policies and legislation for the sectors they serve, and businesses should take the time to seek out these alternatives to minimise risk, as working from home looks set to continue – perhaps indefinitely.
By Ashley Friedlein
About Ashley
Ashley Friedlein is the CEO & Founder of Guild, a private business messaging app and professional community platform that is as easy to use as WhatsApp, advertising-free, and GDPR compliant.
As the Founder of Econsultancy.com, Ashley is one of the most influential and connected figures in digital and marketing. A best-selling author, advisor, columnist, commentator, and blogger, Ashley speaks worldwide on digital and marketing trends, tech, and innovation.
