Flexible working
Flexitime and teleworking move into the mainstream
Flexible working has now become a fact of
life. Since the Government’s ‘Flexible Working Regulations’
came into force, many companies, including Lloyds Bank, IBM,
GlaxoSmithKline, Unilever, ASDA and BP, have embraced the concept.
The benefits of remote working are increasingly well understood;
staff gain from a better work/life balance, while the company has
an opportunity to cut the cost of office overheads through the use
of hot desking and by reducing 'dead' travel time. The 2006 CIPD
Labour Turnover Survey found that it cost £8,200 to replace an
average employee, with this rising to £12,000 for senior managers,
flexible working has also proved to be a key tool for retaining and
motivating staff.
The same technologies
driving flexible working also carry significant benefits in other
areas too. For instance, companies with mobile workforces can offer
their employees remote access to the full range of corporate
communications services and functions, such as reading emails,
sending voice or text messages, checking diaries and accessing
product, sales, and ordering systems. Utilising more flexible and
efficient networking can bring productivity benefits too; own
research found that if every employee used smarter technology, they
could have up to 50 minutes a day, 250 minutes a week, 2 days a
month or 24 days a year to focus on the more important issues.
Underpinning such fluid, flexible working
practices are the platforms and tools which start with broadband
networks and end in laptops, handheld and mobile devices. It's now
possible for remote workers to use their home PC as if they were in
the office, even making phone calls with Voice-over-IP using the
corporate network. Modern networks can also enable hot desking by
combining the best elements of wireless and wired networking, as
well as facilitating multimedia and unified communications.
.
- Building flexible networks - Solutions that
can integrate wired and wireless networks and enable access for
office workers, travelling or teleworkers.
- Home sweet home - Employees say they
are ready for it and the technology is in place, so what is the
homeworking revolution waiting for?
- Keeping your best people - Flexible
solutions to accommodate changing lifestyles.
We can also help with your other needs; to find out more, please
contact us.