Flexible and remote working in the UK is a growing concept that is having a huge impact on the economy. The Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr)\u00a0revealed that\u00a0a \u2018work from anywhere\u2019 culture could add an extra \u00a311.5bn per year to the UK.<\/p>
More than two-thirds of those currently unemployed or unable to work in an office would be happy to start working if given the opportunity to work flexibly. As a result, this could boost the economy by up to\u00a0\u00a378.5bn\u00a0or 4.7% of the total UK GDP.<\/p>
Since 2014, every employee in the UK has the legal right to request flexible working, provided they have worked for their employer for at least 26 weeks.\u00a0According to\u00a0the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (DBEIS), \u2018family-friendly policies and economic growth can go hand-in-hand. Flexible working really can help employers boost productivity and profits.\u2019<\/p>
There\u2019s huge potential for the economy and for businesses that implement a flexible working approach. But how do you make flexible working work for your organisation?<\/p>
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Escaping the 9-to-5, a culture of closed doors, hours of meetings and stifling office hierarchies, is a dream many people crave. An estimated 14.1million workers want more flexibility in their work, according to\u00a0The Guardian.\u00a0But what do we mean when we say \u2018flexible working\u2019?<\/p>
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Flexible working simply means any schedule that is outside of a traditional working pattern. It\u2019s an approach to working that suits\u00a0both the businesses needs as well as the employee. Think of it as an umbrella term for all the different types of work options now available to us, such as:<\/p>\n
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Put simply, no. Remote working is often an enabler of flexible working. It removes the commute to an office, which tends to eat up a big portion of any worker\u2019s day. For some, remote working can be a couple of days a week, but for others it can be full time. In fact, some remote workers don\u2019t even \u2018meet\u2019 their employers. Instead, they connect digitally from anywhere around the world.<\/p>
Flexible working can include everything from remote working to flexible hours and alternating work schedules. Ultimately, it\u2019s about moving away from the outdated 9-5 routine to give your employees more freedom to work when and where they are at their best.<\/p>
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While there are practicalities to address when adopting flexible working, the key challenge is culture. For your employees, this level of freedom brings with it great responsibility. You need to trust that they won\u2019t abuse the privilege or get lax on security. Just because they can work from home every now and then doesn\u2019t mean they don\u2019t need to follow company procedures.<\/p>
To ensure that your employees embrace flexible working in a business-like manner, involve them in the decision-making process. Get their feedback and suggestions because they\u2019re the ones on the front line \u2013 no one else will understand the day-to-day running quite like they do.<\/p>
At Cloud Direct we run stakeholder workshops across your organisation to ensure that all employees are on board with the new way of working and that everyone\u2019s needs, and concerns are addressed. Doing this at the beginning of the process generally avoids most of the usual teething problems further down the line.<\/p>
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Different business solutions have different strengths and weaknesses, and some will be more appropriate for certain business circumstances than others. You need to investigate the capabilities of any solution in detail to make sure it best matches the needs of your organisation.<\/p>
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Working remotely means that employees need access to the same systems, tools and applications used on a day-to-day basis in your business. Fortunately, staying connected while working remotely is not only possible, it\u2019s easy to do and gives employees a much-needed work-life balance.<\/p>
This is where VDI can really support your flexible working needs. The Citrix VDI programme combines Citrix and Microsoft Azure to bring cloud users access to their desktops remotely from anywhere, on any device. This means employees will have access to the same software subscriptions and applications that they\u2019re used to and it will look exactly the same as their normal desktop.<\/p>
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It really comes down to listening to employees\u2019 needs and ensuring that all tools are simple to use and easy to manage. There are a huge range of\u00a0tools available\u00a0but some of the key resources are:<\/p>\n
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It\u2019s not a new conversation, but it is a hotly discussed one: the cloud and how you can utilise the many opportunities it provides a flexible business.\u00a088% of organisations\u00a0in the UK have already begun moving at least part of their infrastructure to the cloud. It\u2019s quite common to use email, apps and some data storage in the cloud, but more sensitive data might still be kept on premise.<\/p>
Price, flexibility and ease of management are still the three main considerations when comparing cloud-based solutions.\u00a0There are several considerations when choosing how much of your business you will be moving to the cloud so don\u2019t hesitate to\u00a0discuss your business needs\u00a0with one of Cloud Direct\u2019s technical support staff.<\/p>
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You\u2019ve probably already got a Bring Your Own Device policy, so we won\u2019t bore you explaining why it\u2019s ideal. (Just in case you haven\u2019t, see our\u00a0eleven best practice tips for creating a BYOD policy). But are you doing BYOD right? Are you sure you haven\u2019t just implemented a policy and then let your employees run wild?<\/p>
When it comes to BYOD, you need to be rigorous. You need technology in place to ensure your business stays compliant. You need\u00a0Enterprise Mobility + Security\u00a0(EMS). With Microsoft\u2019s EMS, you can:<\/p>\n
With the right technology and process in place, you can ensure that your company data stays within the company network. That means your employees really can work from anywhere on any device and you can rest easy knowing your data is safe.<\/p>
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The decision to implement a flexible working approach in your organisation isn\u2019t a fast or easy one to make. There\u2019s a lot to consider with regards to culture, systems, processes and tools. Taking the time to discuss this internally can help you reach the right conclusion.<\/p>
But remember that you don\u2019t need to make this decision alone. As with any big project, it\u2019s about change management, and we can help you get it right. By working with our consultants, we\u2019ll ensure your people, processes and technology are aligned for success.<\/p>
For support and guidance on this transition,\u00a0book a call\u00a0with one of our experts to discuss your company\u2019s needs and what it would take for you to adopt a flexible working approach.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Flexible and remote working in the UK is a growing concept that is having a huge impact on the economy. The Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr)\u00a0revealed that\u00a0a \u2018work from anywhere\u2019 culture could add an extra \u00a311.5bn per year to the UK. More than two-thirds of those currently unemployed or unable to work in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":929,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,9],"tags":[],"post_media_type":[24],"class_list":["post-288","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-microsoft-365","category-preparing-for-hybrid-working","post_media_type-blog"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n