Guest blog: Introducing the virtual model workplace - By Susan Clews - Chief Executive - Acas

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Guest blog: Introducing the virtual model workplace - By Susan Clews - Chief Executive - Acas

In any other time, we might celebrate the fact that homeworking is on the rise. New figures from the ONS show that 49.2% of employees are now working from home (up from 45.8% in just one week). But the definition of flexible working is about employees having a choice about where and when they work. Enforced homeworking, as a result of the COVID-19 lockdown, doesn’t seem to quite fit this bill.

Homeworking in the current environment

What else do we know about homeworking in the lockdown? Well we know that:

· many employees feel that as soon as work returns to anything approaching business as usual, employers will row back on homeworking, whatever the perceived benefits

· homeworking is a privilege, of sorts, only afforded to professional occupations, with lower-paid workers in precarious work less able to work from home

· working from home is more widespread in some sectors than others. A new YouGov poll for Acas shows that it’s easier for those in IT/ telecoms (90% work from home all or most of the time due to Coronavirus) and finance/accounting (84%), but not so easy for those in retail (22%) and hospitality/leisure (26%)

· homeworking is double-edged, bringing both rewards, with a sense of empowerment for some, as well as no dreaded commuting; and difficulties – in an IES survey, over half of respondents reported new pains, especially in the neck, shoulders and back; and the Acas survey reported workers missing informal/social interaction (71%) and feeling ‘out of the loop’ (51%).

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Guest blog: How is COVID-19 effecting businesses and ways of working ? - By Chris Smith - Head Writer at Spend It Like Beckham

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Guest blog: How is COVID-19 effecting businesses and ways of working ? - By Chris Smith - Head Writer at Spend It Like Beckham

All around the world businesses are in a state of crisis. The outbreak of Covid-19 has brought many businesses, big and small, to their knees all around the world. The UK has been in almost total lockdown since mid-March, but what has this meant for the UK’s businesses?

In this article, we’re going to look at some of the most notable ways that Covid-19 has had an impact on businesses, how they are coping and what the future of work in the UK may look like once this is all over.

How Are Businesses Being Affected?

Coronavirus has impacted UK businesses in many different ways. As of April 18th, the Government issued advice that all businesses and employees that could work from home, should be. This took a toll on the UK's workforce, with employees across the country, in every sector, being affected.

Thousands were now expected to work from home; others were put on Government-backed furlough and, unfortunately, many more were let go.

Businesses have been subject to serious loss of cash flow and custom, while some are thriving, deepening on the industry.

So, let’s break down some of the effects this is having.

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Guest blog: Remote without the disconnect - By Steve Bryne, CEO, Travel Counsellors.

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Guest blog: Remote without the disconnect - By Steve Bryne, CEO, Travel Counsellors.

Steve Byrne, CEO at global independent travel company, Travel Counsellors, says self-development doesn’t have to take a back seat when working smarter.

Records show that the number of UK homeworkers has increased by nearly 50% over the last two decades, and out of a UK working population of 32.5m people, four million have decided to take the opportunity to back themselves and run their own business.

With these numbers set to increase, and the next generation of talent around the corner who are well-versed in the benefits of smarter working, I’m reminded of Microsoft Corporation founder Bill Gates’ view: "As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others."

Empowering people to work smarter requires a tangible level of trust. It requires trust between the company, as the enabler, and their employees, or in Travel Counsellors case, over 1800 franchise owners across the globe who run their own corporate and leisure travel businesses from home.

Nurturing trusted relationships between employer and employee must go hand-in-hand with creating a strong sense of community across an organisation - a community of people that supports and champions each other to achieve their personal and professional goals, backed by a technology platform that ensures that they feel constantly engaged and digitally connected. The result, in Travel Counsellors case, is a global group of hundreds of professionals, sharing knowledge, support and expertise to provide their customers with the best travel experiences possible. Afterall, you are only ever one Skype call away from a helping hand.

Being trusted to do your job to the very best of your ability is an incredibly powerful tool. Not only for the good of individual and collective business growth, but for the betterment of a person’s self-belief and self-development, both in and out of the workplace.  To quote the American educator Booker T. Washington, “Few things can help an individual more than to place responsibility on him, and to let him know that you trust him.”

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Guest blog: Developing online communities in the workplace - By Katie Joyce, Senior Lecturer in Organisation Studies at Bristol Business School, University of the West of England

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Guest blog: Developing online communities in the workplace - By Katie Joyce, Senior Lecturer in Organisation Studies at Bristol Business School, University of the West of England

In this guest blog, I reflect back on my recent research findings into the emerging field of ‘Virtual Coaching’.[1] I share some thoughts and ask questions in the hope of stimulating ideas around the development of online communities in the workplace.

Love it or hate it, technology is changing how we communicate with each other.  Internet based communicative platforms have become increasingly central to both our social and professional lives. How many times has a form of ‘virtual’ communication* you’ve engaged with had a direct impact on your thoughts for that day?   Executed successfully, positive interactions via, for example, email/text/tweet/blog may put a spring in your step for the rest of your day; but handled poorly, a brief exchange of words, displayed only as text on a screen, may leave you feeling confused, dejected and possibly isolated. 

 A meme on Twitter caught my attention, it claimed: “Culture cannot be changed through emails and memos, only through relationships, one conversation at a time.” [2]  Indeed, I consider this sentiment to carry great importance and absolutely believe human contact and connection is a priority and something we should never lose sight of.  A lively debate certainly exists in the field of ‘Computer Mediated Communication’ as to whether remote technology acts as a barrier to effective human communication.[3] Some authors consider it a cold and impersonal medium and claim emotions are difficult to express.[4]  Concerns largely stem from the absence of emotional embodiment and one’s verbal and visual cues when using non face-to-face communication methods.  However, other studies have found any such barriers dissolve over time and claim emotional communication online and offline to be surprisingly similar.[5] 

Research I completed in the field of ‘Virtual Coaching’ practice, provides empirical evidence supporting this latter view.  I developed an online blog community for newly qualified clinicians in the NHS, featuring the presence of a ‘virtual coach’.  As a coach myself, I was keen to explore if a remote coaching intervention could help to develop early career potential.  This is typically a time of intense transition and often results in significant performativity pressures for employees.  I opted for blogs as my communication medium because they are said to: “Offer an intriguing platform for personal communication, reflection and expression, creating space for emotional and informational release.”[6]  Participants blogged on a diverse selection of professional development topics linked to their early career transition experiences. 

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Guest blog: Working from home has increased, but why so slow? - By Frances O'Grady - General Secretary of the TUC

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Guest blog: Working from home has increased, but why so slow? - By Frances O'Grady - General Secretary of the TUC

 New TUC research to mark Work Wise UK’s National Work from Home Day shows employee homeworking has increased during the past decade. But we are still a long way from fulfilling the promise of positive flexible working. 

There are 373 thousand more employees working from home than 10 years ago, a 27% increase.

But not enough bosses are giving their workers the option of homeworking – even though it could help people to see more of their family and improve their work-life balance.

Work practices are often stuck in the past

We have the best educated population that we have ever seen. They are particularly adept at using computers and mobiles. Most younger people starting work have been used to independent study and working to deadlines.

Yet far too many employers still rely on a factory-style model, managing by attendance, even when it’s a poor fit.

They are missing a trick. We estimate that 4 million more people want to work from home at least some of the time but aren’t given the chance.

Lack of sufficient trust in employees is bound to have a negative impact on motivation and morale.

This bites even more when the jobs market is tight. With employment rates at record levels employers need to focus on attracting and keeping good people. Offering well-organised homeworking for those who want it would help many employers as well as staff.

What is holding back homeworking?

In many cases its simply outmoded managerial attitudes.

The General Data Protection Regulation is also sometimes cited by employers, but this can be easily dealt with by taking simple common-sense measures.   

There are some other constraints that are the responsibility of government.

Lack of access to fast and reliable broadband is still a problem in parts of the UK

The decline of home ownership – down by more than a million since the crash – is also a factor. People who own their property are 73% more likely to work from home than renters.

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