Boris Johnson’s quip about home working as a ‘skiver’s paradise’ has been widely criticised, hrmagazine.co.uk reports. Going against the messages which have beenissued by Transport for London and the Government, namely that London-based employees should be encouraged to work from home during the Olympic Games, Mr Johnson warned that working from home could result in a drop in productivity. The Mayor of London is perhaps unfamiliar with the concept of cloud computing: that employees will be able to access their work emails and other related documents wherever there is an internet connection. Rachael Saunders of Business in the Community called the comments “outdated”, claiming thatviews which focus on presenteeism are holding back the UK “from supporting great swathesof its workforce”. She saidthe lack of support was frustrating. “Instead of wasting time battling through the tourist crowds, it is far better to be more productive at home – for employers and employees alike.” Many people think Mr Johnson’s comments were not only a disaster in terms of PR, but that they are completely unfounded. In fact, a recent survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) revealedthat working from home was beneficial to businesses and workers. 70 per cent of employers that provide home working options said that their workforce was more motivated. Ben Willmot, head public policy atthe CIPD told aol.co.uk: “From the employee perspective, flexible working is linked to higher levels of employee engagement and well-being.” He added that such employees were also less likely to suffer from excessive pressure.

South West Business Awards logo.
Excalibur is thrilled to have been named as Employer of the Year […]
Excalibur Communications, Swindon - Best Companies UK Top 50 Small Companies to Work For logo.
Excalibur Named as Telecoms Top 3 Best Companies to Work For, UK […]
Four members of Excalibur Communications (Swindon) at the Wiltshire Techies Awards 2023. Winners of Best Tech Support Service and Tech Team of the Year.
Excalibur is delighted to have been named as both Best Tech Support […]