Flexible working during the Olympics, a choice many UK commuters crave but how many companies actually view this as a realistic option?
Citrix Systems research finds the 24% of respondents intend on implementing flexible working during the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The YouGov survey, which polled more than 500 senior decision-makers at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the London area, also found that only 10% of respondents will adopt new working practices. It also found:
· 58% of respondents are prepared to cope with the expected disruption.
· 64% of respondents believe that some staff will be late into work, with 27% concerned that they will not get in at all.
· 37% of respondents trust their staff to make up any time lost.
· 56% of respondents expect more staff to work from home.
Andrew Millard, senior director, Europe Middle East and Africa (EMEA) marketing for the online service division at Citrix, said: “Despite the fact that so many anticipate Olympics-related disruptions, it is surprising that almost 60% of SMEs don’t think that any formal change to existing ways of working is either relevant or necessary. With London in the global spotlight over this period, it provides the ideal opportunity for UK employers to show that it is possible to reap the benefits of hosting the games and avoid the fall-out of any pressure on the transport network, by using collaboration technologies to ensure their staff can work effectively wherever they are.”
The UK Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg announced earlier this year that the government was considering extending flexible working patterns beyond parents in order to make it “much more common – a cultural norm”.
Currently it is possible for employees to request flexible working patterns and in fact this is something which has been encouraged during the Olympic period due to the expected increased strain on the London transport system. Having visited London many times I am aware that even during the quietest commuting periods it can be hellish, as such I can only imagine what the poor souls who face this regularly are facing for the rest of this summer.
I expect that many, if given the chance opted to work from home during this period, but why not continue this after the games? Some may be restricted to continuing the standard 9 – 5 work pattern during this period but others may have experienced increased flexibility. If only this were to continue, both employees and employers could benefit from this change.
Employees who have the chance to work flexible working patterns feel an increased sense of loyalty and improved morale. Management may view this as a “nice” employee relations exercise that falls under the umbrella of human resources but perhaps now is the perfect time for this to change. Remote working does not mean working from a kitchen table surrounded by noisy children and builders. It means working from anywhere that is not the firm’s physical office. This can be done easily with modern technology such as Skype and Facetime for video conferencing, combined with tools such as, Unified Inbox, Dropbox and Google Docs for collaborative working.
Employers often argue that they cannot be certain that their employees are working hard and an element of trust in every working relationship but unproductive people will finds ways to procrastinate wherever they are. Whether they are working remotely from home or gossiping with colleagues at work.
Remote working gives employees flexibility and can also give employers access to new markets. By allowing them to coach a sports team, help with their children’s homework or give piano recitals it means that they can then work extra hours that evening talking with clients in another time zone. It is the 21st century so operating in a global scale is the norm, very rarely will you only have clients/colleagues within your country and by offering this flexibility you can build better relationships with those away from the office.
Remote working can also have an enormous benefit in reducing sick days, according to a study of 24,000 IBM staff worldwide, employees who were able to work flexibly provided an additional 19 hours a week before they reached the same levels of stress as those who did not work flexibly. By doing this you will reduce current levels of sickness which is something all employers seek, with flexible working looking more and more like a win – win solution.
Remote working can also manage the high percentage of office space that employers fail to utilise. BT allows their staff to vary their hours for a range of different reasons, with an additional benefit in a reduction of office space which has apparently saved BT £500m. Another benefit is the removal of “dead commuting time”, the time wasted on journeys to and from work which then also helps reduce environmental impact, with 22% of domestic carbon emissions in the UK coming from traffic. The government is considering legislation to reduce parking spaces at work, with Nottingham leading the way with a “workplace parking levy”. Opting for a remote working solution is a solution which will impress not only employees but shareholders also.
Currently the UK government is fighting Europe to prevent legislation which would make employees work less than 48 hours a week. The main debate in Europe relates to Working Time Regulations 1998, which implements the European Working Time Directive and whether the UK can ask its employees to sign a document in which they “opt out” of the 48 hour working week (aggregated over a 17 week reference period). Rather than relying on this companies should think imaginatively and by offering the flexibility to work remotely many of these issues can be avoided. Yes, meeting clients and colleagues face-to-face should be encouraged as it is an effective way to develop relationships, but by also offering flexibility and embracing the fact that we have moved on from the Victorian era the workforce of the future are free to grow. Employees should be judged by their result and not by attendance.
Flexible working can:
- Provide access to new markets
- Reduce sick days
- Free up office space
- Reduce your environment impact
- Meet the European Working Time Directive
- Improve efficiency
- Save money!
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