Adrian Hughes, CEO of hosted VoIP provider, Inclarity, said that not only do businesses need to embrace home working practices, but they need to consider using the right technologies such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). VoIP allows secure phone calls to be made over the internet from a laptop or home handset, enabling staff to work remotely using the same direct dial.
As initiatives like National Working From Home Day set best practice standards, companies will feel increasingly obliged to offer staff the correct equipment to work from home or face a staff exodus.
“Year after year soaring temperatures cause disruption to London’s underground network. With the prospect of crowded and sweaty trains and tubes, the summer is an uncomfortable time to commute by any means,” Adrian said. “Working from home has become a popular choice as people try to balance work with family lives, but many employers are reluctant to let staff work remotely, even though the technology exists to allow people to log onto company networks from home and make economical telephone calls over the internet. Location is no longer an issue because with hosted VoIP you can access voicemail and conference options from anywhere with an internet connection.”
Inclarity recently conducted a survey of more than 500 small-to-medium sized businesses across the UK and found that a third (33 per cent) now encourage home working. This figure is set to rise as more and more businesses across the UK agree to meet employee demands for flexible working practices.