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Benefits of home working begin to add up

Smarter working for staff is once again on the agenda this week as part of Small Business Week. Work Wise North East (WWNE) is urging regional employers to consider smarter working for their staff as a means of improving staff morale and retention, as well as productivity.

WWNE are highlighting the economic benefits of providing flexible working. By adopting a hot desk system where staff are using the office and its facilities on a staggered basis throughout the day, the amount of space that a business needs to run efficiently can be substantially reduced.

Simon Roberson, WWNE chairman and regional manager for BT, which is hosting a number of events in support of Small Business Week, said: “Wednesday is Home Business Day and we are keen to encourage more individuals and entrepreneurs to set up businesses from home.

The far greater levels of congestion on our road network as well as higher fuel and office accommodation costs provide a conclusive case for flexible working practices in the future because they simply make much better business sense.“

Angela McLean, who runs a higher education consultancy from her home in Kirkley Mill, Ponteland, has been benefiting from the flexibility of working from home for eight years. She said: “Five years ago, I think there was rather a stigma attached to running a business from home - I certainly felt conscious of this when asked where my office was - but now, it is perfectly acceptable as more and more people realise the benefits.

“I think you definitely work longer hours than you would in an office - you must create a routine and stick to it. Now I have a wireless connection it is even better. I can sit in my kitchen to work on the internet and just use the office for my paper work.”

For more about WWNE, visit www.workwiseuk.org/northeast/index.html

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .