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Section head
24/09/10
Employers prevent workers from working from home
Source: The TUC
One in five workers are stopped from working from home despite the advantages to business and the enviroment, the TUC reports today, Friday 24th September - National work from home day.
Official statistics show there is still huge untapped potential across the workforce, with 4.5 million employees saying they want to work from home on a regular basis but are not allowed to do so.
In it's report the TUC offers the following reasons why business can benefit from home working: -
- Better staff recruitment and retention - Home working can widen the recruitment pool by attracting people who have traditionally struggled to find work, such as single parents and those with disabilities.
- Improved motivation and productivity - Employees are more likely to have high morale where employers are seen to take account of their needs. Employers as diverse as the Nationwide Building society and the Ministry of Defence are reporting productivity gains achieved by home working.
- Improving the quality and reputation of the service - Good employment practices can enhance the reputation of businesses. Home working and flexible working can extend the hours when businesses are in touch with customers.
- Reduction of sickness absence and travel costs - Not working in an office environment can reduce exposure to colds, flu and other contagious diseases. Cutting out the commute can reduce stress.
- Infrastructure cost savings - Home working can save on car parking space, office rent and running costs.
BT saves £2.2 million per year through home working and flexible working, whilst Suffolk County Council was able to cut the size of its new central services office block by a third by using these practices.
Chief Executive of Work Wise UK Phil Flaxton said,
' The nature of work is changing and an increasing number of the working population can now work remotely or from home- apart from enhancing work- life balance fro employees, with the added health benefits, and reducing the need to travel, working from home can significantly improve productivity, enabling organisations to reduce costs whilst improving efficiency.'
Opportunity Now has published extremely useful and insightful thought pieces, looking at the workplace of the future, providing an overview of topics such as - how to utilise modern technology to service an agile workforce and how to provide support to managers with flexible and possibly home based workers.
Further reading is available here:
Tomorrows Workplace
You must be a member of Opportunity Now and to have registered onto the website to view these documents:
Out of Office is a trilogy of research documents that explore trust and empowerment in the workplace with a particular emphasis on the agile workforce.
