O2 Research Shows Support For Flexible Working As Government Legislation Takes Effect

From today, UK workers can request the ability to work flexibly under new government legislation, but research suggests that more than half are unaware of the new laws, while two out five employees already spend four or more hours working from a coffee shop.

A survey by O2 Business reveals that nearly half of workers already work from home to some extent, while 13.4 percent work on the train, 10.3 percent work in bed and 7.8 percent work from the pub.

Those who do work remotely say they find non-office environments more productive and appreciate the change in scenery. However the report says that younger workers who work for small businesses are more likely to work remotely, with self-employed people also keen on the idea.

Remote working

O2 Business believes the trend will continue and believes cloud-based services such as Microsoft Office 365 and the increased availability of Wi-Fi and 4G will allow employees to make the most of the new government legislation.

“It’s great to see an increasing number of people working away from the office and this is something I think we will continue to see in the future,” says Paul Lawton, head of small business for O2. “I hope more people will be encouraged to work flexibly in light of the Government’s changes to the legislation.

“At O2 we’re continuously helping our business customers meet the needs of both the company and their employees in an increasingly digital Britain. Equipping workers with the latest technology, underpinned by superfast 4G or Wi-Fi connectivity will undoubtedly help them to become more productive.”

Government legislation

The new laws enable any worker to apply to work flexibly and employers must deal with such requests in a “reasonable manner” and assess the various advantages and disadvantages. Employers can have a good reason to refuse an application, but they must hold a meeting with the applicant and offer an appeals process. If the worker is unhappy, the matter can go to an employment tribunal.

O2 has been pushing the idea of flexible working for some time and successful held a trial before the London Olympics in 2012 which saw all 2,500 of its employees at its UK headquarters in Slough work from home. The company estimated that one day’s worth of 2,5000 of its employees working away from the office reduced its CO2 equivalent emissions by 12.2 tonnes and saved its employees around 2,000 hours of commuting time.

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