Codestone

Category: Workforce mobility

Home working could be a great contingency plan for businesses to consider.

Alistair McKinnon, senior product manager of internet protocol at Virgin Media Business, explained that firms could have a strategy "in place to deal with unforeseen events" by offering their staff the option of home working.

"If workers are unable to travel to meetings or to the office, the effects on project deadlines and productivity can be considerable," he warned.

However, if employees can use remote access software, as well as other "remote collaboration tools, such as videoconferencing, teleconferencing and desktop sharing", they should be able to continue to work.

Recent research from Virgin Media Business revealed that home working is growing in popularity, with 357 per cent more businesses implementing the practice this year.

Only 14 per cent of firms polled in 2010 said they were equipping their employees for home working, whereas 64 per cent said the same in the latest survey.

Posted by Lara Ward