Returning to the Office in 2025? Here's What You'll Need

Uh-oh. It seems like the days of working remotely, whether full time or on a hybrid schedule, are coming to an end. 

Earlier this fall, two major corporations, Amazon and Dell, both announced that their employees must work in-office full time.

Are employees ready to go back?

This shift marks a significant transition back to pre-pandemic work routines and raises questions about whether other companies might follow suit. For employees, preparing for this change involves more than just adjusting their schedules—it also means equipping themselves with the right office supplies to ensure a smooth transition.

The Ripple Effect of Industry Leaders

The decision by Amazon and Dell to bring employees back to the office full-time is likely to influence other corporations contemplating similar moves. These industry leaders cite several reasons for the shift, including enhanced collaboration, improved team dynamics, and the spontaneous creative exchanges that occur more naturally in person. As these giants set the standard, smaller companies may also reconsider their remote work policies to foster a more cohesive and dynamic work environment.

But, with employees working from home for so long, the real question is - are offices ready for employees to come back? 

That may sound like an odd question, but it's a real one. Are these previously abandoned offices equipped with all of the equipment that employees need to for everything to run smoothly once they're back? They may not be. 

So, what do offices need? 

Returning to Office Full Time: What You'll Need.

If you're working in Accounts Payable, Payroll, Human Resources, the banking sector, or any other department that requires you and your team to print checks, or send invoices and documents physically or digitally, you'll need to make sure your in-office equipment is up to date, complies with banking standards, and as secure as it possible can be. 

Online Check Printing and Writing Software

If you're printing checks from your office, you need to make sure the software you and your team is using is up-to-date for your return. Most on-premise applications may be outdated if they haven't been looked after since a mass exodus from in-office environments. You need your check printing solution to be cloud-based with easy integration into your current ERP system. Cloud-based systems like TROY AssurePay Check are scalable across office locations, and automatically update to the latest servers & tech, so you don't have to worry about on-site maintenance. 

With AssurePay Check, you can easily upload full batch files, add digital signatures and company logos to your checks, preview, and send to the bank for testing, all in one pass. Watch a full demo of the software here. 

Blank Check Stock

The best and most secure type of check stock for businesses and banks of all sizes to use is blank check stock, which comes just how it sounds -- completely blank with no pre-printed accounting or routing numbers information printed on it. Blank check stock is a more dynamic, cost-effective, and fraud-resistant solution to pre-printed stock. Pre-printed stock comes with your bank account information already printed on the paper, which causes issues with internal & external check fraud. You can read more about blank check stock vs pre-printed check stock in our "Know The Difference" blog post here.   

MICR Toner

If you're an accounting or banking professional, MICR is probably something you're very familiar with. But if you need a refresher, MICR, or Magnetic Ink Character Recognition, is a type of magnetic toner that allows for machine-reading and processing of checks rather than manually.

MICR is a requirement by the American Banking Association and has been for quite some time. While world has changed and most companies have fully remote options, you might be wondering "Is MICR still a requirement in 2024 and will it be in 2025? The answer is yes, MICR is still a requirement, so implementing MICR into your at-home check printing suite is essential. 
 

However, security is also essential to check printing, and standard MICR toner and ink is not resistant to common fraud attacks like check washing -- a problem that is only rising. Check washing is a process in which criminals wash information including amount, payee name, bank and routing numbers, etc. That's why it's important to print with MICR Toner Secure, TROY's patented MICR toner that releases a red dye whenever any type of check-washing is attempted; ruining the check and alerting the banks of fraud.  If a check is not printed with TROY's MICR Toner Secure, it doesn't have the protection needed to prevent check washing. 

Desktop MICR Printer

Your office probably has printers, but how long ago have you used them? Older, or legacy printers, that are not up to date with the latest firmware & hardware are not only difficult to use, but can cause security breaches. Outdated printers can be gateways into your company network as they are easy to hack. This is especially important for check printing, where customer account numbers and signatures are being printed consistently.  If your office printers fall into this category, TROY HP MICR printers are the perfect option for upgrading.

TROY takes a standard HP printer and enhances it with security features specifically designed for check printing. Already up to date with HP's signature Wolf Security, TROY MICR printers can print MICR lines (accounting and routing numbers) and fonts in their exact positioning and also feature toner-sensing technology, and tray locks for boosted security.  

Mailing Equipment

Now, onto the mailing side. Once your checks are printed, they'll need to be stuffed and sealed into your envelopes and sent out to the proper recipients. With constant postage rate increases and IMI compliance being required for all postage meters by the end of 2024, you may not even be able to fill your postage meter with funds. It's important to stay up to date, and the best way to do that is to upgrade to an IMI compliant Pitney Bowes SendPro postage meter, a sleek, space saving cloud based device that automatically updates to the latest postage costs so you always pay the correct amount. Not to mention, saving you time from running to the post office. 

TROY is on your side

Returning to the office may feel overwhelming, but with TROY's end-to-end in-office solutions can make the entire transition easy & secure without breaking the bank or needing to upgrade for years to come. Between secure check printing software, blank check stock, MICR Toner Secure, Desktop MICR printers and up to date mailing equipment, your office will be running like a well-oiled machine. 

Start browsing our store to see what options are right for you.