Leading businesses and unions have formally signed an
agreement on flexible working.
Richard Lambert, director general of the CBI, and Brendan
Barber, general secretary of the TUC, were the first to sign the
"concordat" supporting the development and implementation of the
Work Wise UK campaign and its objectives.
Work Wise UK, a not for profit initiative, is in the first year
of a five-year programme to promote the wider adoption of smarter
working practices, such as flexible working, working from home,
mobile and remote working, to help enable the UK economy to better
compete against emerging economies like China and India.
Barber said, "Introducing smarter working practices across UK
workplaces would give employees more choice over their hours and
working patterns. Greater flexibility that allows people to work
from home occasionally could have a major impact on their
lives.”
He said, “Less time would be wasted commuting and people would
get to see more of their friends and families. It would also help
reduce stress levels, allowing staff to be more effective at work
and healthier generally.”
Lambert said, “Many businesses are already reaping rewards from
more flexible and smarter ways of working, achieving improved
productivity and staff recruitment and retention. Local
communities and the environment benefit too. The right balance
must, of course, be struck between employees having maximum
flexibility and businesses remaining competitive and meeting
customers’ needs.”
David Frost, director-general of the British Chambers of
Commerce, said, “The success of the British economy depends upon an
enterprising industry with a skilled and innovative workforce.
Workwise UK provides a unique opportunity for employers and
employees to work together to create mutually beneficial ways to
work.”
Other initial signatories of the concordat include BT, Scope,
Technology Means Business and Henley Management Centre.
The aim is for thousands of other organisations to follow this
example and sign the concordat via the
Work Wise
website, demonstrating their commitment to revolutionising the
workplace.
Companies and unions shake hands on flexible working
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