Study: Mobile Working Is Key To Surviving The Recession

A pioneer of flexible working has called on businesses not to abandon smarter working practices in the recession deepens, as a study indicates mobile working contributes to business success.

Too many businesses see flexible, mobile working as simply an employee benefit, and there is a real risk to steering away from flexible working in a downturn, says Peter Thomson, founder of the Future Work Forum and Director of Wisework, speaking about a study of more than 1000 small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

“Smarter working practices can save costs as well as improve efficiency. Technology solutions can make smaller teams more productive and the SMEs that are more agile are the ones most likely to survive the downturn,” said Thomson.

The study, commissioned by telecoms specialist Plantronics predicts that SMEs with fully ‘mobile’ workforces are more likely to be optimistic, and expecting to grow in 2009 compared to businesses that do not enable their employees to work remotely. However, less than four out of ten small businesses say their own workforce is equipped to work where and when they can.

Below: Peter Thomson challenges some of the myths around flexible working. Click here for the full report Mobile Working: Key To Surviving the Recession? from NetMediaEurope UK on Vimeo.