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A recent shift in the workforce is allowing more and more Canadians to work from home. As of the last study conducted by Stats Canada, that means nearly 20% of all those working in the country are doing it from their living rooms, bedrooms, or – if they’re lucky – their home offices.

This change in location comes with many advantages. Many of those that make up the 20% can choose when they want to work. Whether that’s a typical 9-5 day or more flexible shifts in the evenings and weekends, it’s largely up to them. They can work around appointments, additional jobs, and other commitments. Working at home also comes with other considerations that, while not necessarily drawbacks, will force Canadians to re-evaluate how they work. One is how and when they’ll organize and dispose of the information that they collect through work.

With more work done at home, Canadians are collecting more work-related data in their homes. Papers, invoices, files, and digital data are now filling up desks, cabinets, and devices in homes across the country.  In addition to cluttering up your office, these documents record company information, client contact details, and financial information – all of which can’t be disposed of with the rest of your household trash. Throwing out documents that hold personal details, account numbers, and contacts can set you and your employers up for identity fraud.

Identity theft is quickly becoming the number one crime in the country. Contact information and account numbers, when collected as ill-gotten gains, can be used to create new financial accounts under false names. While the thief racks up bills, it’s under yours, your employer’s, or your clients’ name, and the next time any of you check your credit rating, you’ll be in for a nasty surprise. In the wrong hands, multiple accounts can be opened. Not even your digital data is safe. Malware and phishing scams have evolved to break through advanced virus protection apps and security programs to allow cyber criminals access to your stored files, including your Excel spreadsheets of accounting information or company details.

Should this happen to one of your clients, it’s more than just a horrible financial scare for an individual. It has a far-reaching effect. The company that you work for could be on the line, as federal laws protect confidential information collected by businesses from their clients. These laws stipulate that private information can’t be shared or released without the express consent of the clients.

Most offices have implemented their own ways of ensuring collected information is disposed of correctly. When your office is at home, it’s your responsibility to find ways to dispose of your documents. You can avoid breaking the law and putting anyone at risk by booking our residential mobile shredding services. Our process is simple, and we can arrive at your home according to a schedule that fits your workload. Instead of throwing out your work documents with the rest of your garbage, you can have them professionally shredded. In shredding, we permanently destroy the information so that it can’t be used for nefarious purposes.

Even though you work from home, you can still take the same precautions offices around the world do. Shredding the confidential documents that you collect while working is just one way you can protect yourself, your employers, and your clients. So before you throw out another file, get in touch with your leading mobile shredding service. We’ll make sure your documents – physical and digital – are destroyed before we recycle them!