Try out home working

Jan 9 2008 By Chloe Griffiths, The Journal

Employees are being encouraged to sample the benefits of working from home for a day as part of a campaign aimed at revolutionising the nine-to-five culture.

The regional Work Wise programme is inviting organisations and workers across the North-East to take part in National Work from Home Day on Friday to demonstrate the advantages of home working.

The initiative emphasises how development in technology has enabled people to work virtually anywhere.

Campaigners say many workers can perform their roles from home, while even just one day a week without travelling to the office would have a profound impact upon traffic congestion and overcrowding on public transport.

Research shows flexible working habits, including staggered start and finish times, also significantly improve productivity, enabling businesses to be more competitive.

It also enhances the work-life balance with added health and leisure benefits.

Chairman of Work Wise North-East and regional manager for BT, Simon Roberson, said: "Work Wise North-East aims to break down archaic traditions and make the North-East one of the most progressive regions in the UK. Our rigid work structure is dictated by culture. It wastes time and resources, damages the environment, causes stress and harms health, and is largely unnecessary considering the technology available today."

National Work from Home Day is being staged by Work Wise UK, a major five-year programme which was launched two years ago with widescale support to encourage smarter working practices.

The North-East was the first region to put it into practice. Almost 50,000 workers in the North-East - nearly 5% of the working population are now based at, or regularly work from, home.

The campaign has also attracted wide-ranging support from leading organisations and unions in the region, including the TUC, Government Office and regional development agency One NorthEast.

Many business have reported better productivity and improvements in working relations since introducing new work practices.

Work Wise UK's chief executive Phil Flaxton said: "Technology is enabling people to work virtually anywhere. National Work from Home Day is not an excuse for an extra day off, it is a serious attempt for people and organisations to try out home working."

Visit www.workwiseuk.org