Pros And Cons Of Flexible Working Explored
Workers are increasingly expecting to be able to work remotely and with the advances in technology, this can be a reality for many for at least part of the working week.
A new report from Regus has been exploring all aspects of flexible working in different countries around the world, noting that over half of the global workforce now report that they work remotely at least 2.5 days a week.
Those surveyed explained that this allows them to work in different locations around the same city, with many stating that they work from business centres close to home rather than working at home when they are out of the office.
In fact, 66 per cent of those questioned said that they expect to see a rise in demand for flexible working spaces, such as business lounges and co-working spaces, in the coming year.
However, there are some obstacles to home working that need to be tackled to give more people the option to work remotely. In the UK, 27 per cent of business people said that a slow or unreliable internet connection impacts their ability to work remotely.
A reliable business Voip phone service is one of the tools necessary to enable remote working, along with cloud-based software and file sharing services.
But with more workers expecting to be able to work flexibly to help them strike a better work-life balance, and the technology allowing them to do so, businesses need to be prepared to allow their employees to work flexibly.
A recent report by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation’s Future of Jobs Commission suggested that encouraging flexible working could be one way of helping to combat a growing skills shortage.