London businesses lead the way for smarter working

Firms in London are leading the way for flexible and ‘smart’ working in the UK, according to new studies. The research carried out by conference call company Powwownow found that businesses in the capital were much more likely to let their staff spend time working outside of the office during an average week.

Flexibility in the workplace has become a top priority for younger workers with 85% of young London workers between the ages of 18-24 actively looking for flexible work arrangements, although they are least likely to be offered it by businesses. Nearly two thirds of employees admit that they believe it enables them to be more productive and manage their time more effectively, even leaving a positive impact on their relationships with colleagues.

With commute times across the country averaging at over an hour, the option to work out of the office is becoming a more favourable prospect to employers that want to get the most from their staff. And while there have been concerns that working from home leaves employees distracted, Powwownow believes that bringing workers to the office unnecessarily is a dated concept.

“Companies in the UK are beginning to wake up to the fact that the brightest British talent expects different things from their employers compared to 10 years ago,” said Jason Downes, MD of Powwownow. “With technology so readily available, there is little other than tradition in the way of offering all employees flexible working.”

Instead of grading people on how much time they spend at their desk, Powwownow is urging bosses to assess the quality of employees’ output and how smart working could leave a positive effect on staff’s morale, as well as generated revenue.

Downes concludes, “Although London is currently reacting to this change at the fastest pace, it will no doubt only be a matter of time before the rest of the UK comes to embrace this same approach to smarter working.”