Work wise: work from home

Today (Friday May 5) is National Work from Home Day, as part of a wider campaign, Work Wise UK, to encourage the adoption of smarter working practices, such as flexible working, mobile working, remote working and working from home.

Phil Flaxton, chief executive of the IT Forum Foundation, which is behind the campaign, said: "British workers spend by far the longest time travelling in Europe – as much as 47 working days per year, with commuters in the South East facing an average of eight hours per week – a whole extra working day! By working two days a week from home, workers would save 19 working days per year."

The campaign claims that savings will not only be in time but also in cash: apart from the transport costs there is the cappuccino and Danish on the way to the office, lunch in the pub and, for some, congestion charges and parking. A typical train commuter could save £12 a day (£5 on the train journey, £2 on coffee and snack, and £5 on lunch) and a typical road commuter £14 per day (average 17 miles @ 40p per mile, £2 coffee and snack and £5 lunch) or £30 per day in London if the £8 congestion charge and £8 parking fee are included. Potential savings could be between £1,152 and £2,880 per year.

Travel

It also cites the benefits of subsequent reductions in traffic volumes and passenger numbers on public transport, resulting in less congestion and overcrowding.

The RAC Foundation predicts that smarter working could cut commuter traffic by up to 10 per cent within five years. Edmund King, executive director, said: "Even if people only worked from home one day a week, the impact would be significant: just look at what happens during the school holidays.

"Road congestion costs the UK economy some £20 billion per year. If there is a reasonable take-up of smarter working, we predict that £1.9 billion per year will be saved within five years."

Brendon Barber, general secretary of the TUC, said: "More than 10 million people regularly work overtime, although only half of them are rewarded with extra pay or time off in lieu.

"Travel is an important element – the working week figures do not take into account travel time, which in some areas of the country is very significant. Simply reducing that element, or enabling the staggering of the rush hour, will have a fundamental impact on people's lives both in terms of time and stress."

The concept of smarter working has been around for many years, but it is the recent advances in technology which will have had a huge part to play in enabling its wider adoption. The continuing widespread growth of faster broadband across the UK, and the great steps made in mobile technology, are opening the door for a large cross-section of the UK population to benefit from smarter working.

BT is the first strategic partner to join Work Wise UK and this is fitting as the company represents the UK's largest exponent of flexible working practices. BT currently employs 64,000 flexible workers and 11,500 contracted full time home workers.

Caroline Waters, director, people and policy, BT, said: "The benefits of flexible working are enormous and the impact on productivity and employee satisfaction due to an improved work/life balance has been underlined by trusted organisations such as the DTI, CBI and TUC."