Leading accounting software provider IRIS Exchequer says that during the Olympics more needs to done to ensure London’s transport infrastructure can take the strain during the 2012 Games. IRIS Exchequer say that remote working is not just an option for the 3 weeks of the Games but is a viable productive solution that SMEs and Corporations should consider for a happy and efficient workforce.
(PRWEB UK) 1 February 2012
IRIS Exchequer say that during this time, with a third of Londoners expected to change their travel routines during the 2012 games, commuters will notice changes to rush-hour patterns as crowds descend on some of the busier Tube lines.
"The centre of town will be the greatest impact, leaving it to lie with the City’s employers to decide on a solution to ease the strain on commuters," says Paul Sparkes, Product Director at IRIS Accounting and Business Solutions.
Hotspots are likely to seriously affect City employees who work near the main London rail terminals, as well as around the key financial districts of Bank and Canary Wharf.
"More needs to done to ensure London’s transport infrastructure can take the strain during a period when a third of Londoners will be obliged to significantly change their travel patterns or businesses need to seriously consider offering staff remote working as an option to continue to operate efficiently," continues Sparkes.
But could letting staff rely on remote working, staggering their hours or working from home during the Games be viewed as a soft option?
At BT for example, nearly three-quarters of its staff operate some kind of flexible or remote working. Staff can ask to vary their hours so that they can plan social activities, parenting and a reduction in travel expenditure around their role. It’s paid off for BT as a cost cutting exercise – they estimate to have saved £500 million by encouraging it.
And at American retail giant, Best Buy, corporate headquarters staff were allowed time off to play golf, sleep in and then work evenings to catch up. The remote working experiment, suicidedly bold some might say - resulted in a staggering 35% increase in productivity – suggesting that freedom from the distractions of the office pays.
So if some of the Capital’s main employers let staff work flexibly or remotely during the Games for three weeks and they too receive the benefits of reduced expenditure and happier, more productive staff, then why stop there?
"The Olympics could be used as a springboard towards a much more widespread four-day office week with either staff working from home, doing compressed hours, or going part-time. A move that not only will help employers cut costs and ease the strain on commuter rail and roads (and ultimately the tax payer who funds their repair) but to help ease the pain of tough economic times," concludes Sparkes.
Paul Sparkes offers his own top tips to ensure that your organisation could benefit from a remote working strategy:
Be creative – Launch a pilot programme in your organisation. Start with one or two departments or a set period of weeks (the Olympics could be an ideal time) and monitor results against set targets.
Develop criteria – Get a good remote working policy in place. Generally, the adoption of remote working involves building the minimum appropriate infrastructure – hosted solutions, or software installed and hosted in secure scalable data centres. Tools could include remote control applications, collaboration software and video conferencing software. It may be easier to reach team members via the web than walk around the office.
Technology – Ensure that you choose a hosted service that includes the ongoing management of the servers, software and data including the provision of backup services, installation of security patches and various levels of technical expertise and support.
Communication – create a schedule for regular communication. Use instant messaging and video chatting for spontaneous conversations to ensure that staff don’t miss out on ‘the real world’.
Metrics - It’s well known that when staff work from home they are happier, free from office distractions and often more productive. However what about staff that need supervision? Rather than monitoring hours worked per day, set production targets or goals to be completed.
About IRIS:
IRIS Exchequer is a mid-market business and finance management solution that has received a number of awards over the years. Awards success includes winning ‘Financial Software Provider of the Year’ in the Real Finance/CBI FDs’ Excellence Awards 2011, 2008, 2006 and 2005.
IRIS Exchequer was named the ‘Best rated accounting product catering for businesses in the medium range’ in an authoritative survey by the ICAEW (Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales), the industry body which also accredits IRIS Exchequer.
For further information, please contact:
IRIS Accounting & Business Solutions
0844 815 5600
0844 815 5592
exchequer(at)iris(dot)co(dot)uk
http://www.iris.co.uk/exchequer
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Lucy Sofiano
IRIS Accounting and Business Solutions
01202 204437
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