| By :
Martin Hofschroer
Employers should allow their staff to work from home because increased flexibility has numerous benefits, according to the Trades Union Congress (TUC). Research in the 2007 Work-Life Balance Employee Survey by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform found that nearly one in five employees want to be able to work from home. Employers can gain comprehensive advice about how to implement flexible working practices from performance improvement consulting services. The TUC claim that providing employees with the opportunity to work from home can result in better staff recruitment and retention especially in relation to single parents and disabled people. Improved motivation and productivity is another advantage of home working as employees are more likely to feel their needs have been accounted for and this will result in better staff performance. The TUC reported that both the Nationwide Building society and the Ministry of Defence experienced better employee productivity after enabling home working practices. Flexible employment practices can also enhance a business' reputation because this can extend the available hours when firms can communicate with customers. Employees who do not regularly work in an office environment are less likely to call in sick and can avoid the stresses and costs of travel which may also result in higher productivity levels. There are also infrastructure cost savings associated with home working as businesses can save on car parking space, office rent and running costs. The TUC found that BT saves £2.2 million per year through flexible working, while Suffolk County Council was able significantly reduce the size of its new central services office block by adopting such practices. TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: "Working for home is growing in popularity but millions of staff are still unable to try it out thanks to over controlling employers. "Too many workers are wasting their time making journeys they don't need to, clogging our transport networks during the rush hour and adding to their carbon footprint unnecessarily, while companies are losing out on the cost and productivity benefits of home working. Phil Flaxton, Chief Executive of Work Wise UK, said that employers should modernise their practices as the internet and technology has revolutionised how people work. He said: "Apart from enhancing work-life balance for employees, with the added health benefits, and reducing the need to travel, working from home can significantly improve productivity, enabling organisations to reduce costs whilst improving efficiency." Research by recruitment and HR firm Ranstad revealed that around ten per cent of employees have searched for another job as they feel their potential is not being realised by their bosses.
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