New consortium launched to boost flexible working

Published on Monday, 21 November 2011 11:01

Posted by Scott Buckler

The government, unions and leading businesses in the UK have launched a consortium to provide companies with the management skills to enhance flexible working practices

Transport minister Norman Baker announced the launch of the Anywhere Working consortium to increase the understanding of the benefits flexible working provides.

Founding members of the scheme are Business in the Community (BITC), Microsoft, Nuffield, Regus and Vodafone.

Other organisations across a number of industries are also expected to join the consortium, with the intention of promoting the ideas of flexible working.

Mr Baker said: "In a world where communication technologies offer the means to travel around the world in an instant without travelling at all, encouraging individuals and business to think flexibly about what 'being there' means is simply the smart thing to do."

However, the scheme may be undermined by the environment of presenteeism that was outlined in a study conducted by O2, which found that 41 per cent of all employees feel the need to remain "visible" in the office.