There’s no denying that the meaning of “workplace” has changed in every way possible. Now, working from anywhere is no longer a concept, but a reality. We’ve seen that there’s no single answer that works for every organization on how to define the workplace, whether they move to permanent remote work, bring employees back full time, or institute a hybrid, flexible model where employees can work in both the office and remotely. Each approach is unique to each individual organization, based on their own business needs and view on how best to attract and retain talent in today’s climate.

Organizations that do bring employees back to the office are faced with what probably feels like the impossible task of simultaneously keeping employees safe, maintaining business continuity, staying in compliance with local health regulations and protecting sensitive data. So what’s an organization to do? And what are the key considerations around building safety and security as we return to the office?

ID issuance administrators may no longer be on-site every day

Before the COVID-19 pandemic uprooted our lives, ID issuance administrators were expected to be on-premise to issue ID cards to new employees and visitors. However, now that the workplace has become more flexible, so too should the ways in which we approach building access. Today’s ID issuance administrators need to be able to issue ID cards from anywhere at any time (i.e., remotely and across time zones). And, it’s equally important to be able to issue digital ID cards as it is physical cards, especially as organizations begin to provide mobile ID experiences for their employees.

More sophisticated cyber threats

As threat actors become more sophisticated in their attacks on organizations ID issuance administrators need to re-evaluate the security features of their ID issuance solution. Encryption, encryption key management and malware safeguards are important features that allows the ID card printer to become a trusted internet of things (IoT) endpoint. And, the printing of the physical card itself should also be done in a way that provides extra protections from counterfeiters.

Visitors on-site means heightened health and safety concerns

According to our recent data study on securing the new hybrid workplace, 96% of leaders agree that they will be paying more attention to who is going in and out of the office building, likely due to the heightened sensitivity surrounding the global pandemic. Further, 96% of leaders and 93% of employees who responded to our survey said it is important to have a system in place to log and track their visitors. Many organizations are incorporating pre-screening questionnaires, tracking of visitors throughout the facility, and are looking for solutions that provide the ability to pull an accurate list of who is in the facility at any time should a problem arise.

Regardless of whether your workforce is in-person, remote, or a blend of the two, Entrust has ID issuance solution to meet your evolving business needs. To learn more, explore the resources below: