Home working option 'should be extensive'

Posted by peopleperhour.com - 18/04/2008 15:00

The option to work from home should ideally be extended to all people who work with the aid of a PC and a telephone.

That is the view of Brian Higton of the Telework Association, who said: "Some 80 per cent of the UK workforce can be categorised as 'information workers', i.e. people who work with data of one kind or another usually with the aid of a computer and a telephone.

"For most of these people, there is no reason why they shouldn't work from home – at least on a part-time basis."

Employers can make sure that home workers still feel themselves to be part of the company by keeping them informed about social functions, Mr Higton added.

Also, speaking to colleagues for a reasonable length of time on the phone should not be frowned upon: "Chat between colleagues in an office is after all generally permissible."

A report by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development found that recruitment and retention are the two main reasons why organisations offer flexible working opportunities.
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