21/02/2006
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Productivity levels are up while sickness absence is down at Newcastle City
Council, thanks to a working from home project.
The City Service Work Styles Project enabled six benefit staff to work from
home over a three-month period (4 July-7 Oct 2005). In addition eight members
of staff within the City Service ICT School Support Team also work from home.
Early indications show that the average rate of productivity for the
homeworkers was 25 per cent more than office-based colleagues. Absence levels
also reduced from 53 days to 15.
The Project is the brainchild of Head of City Service Ray Ward, who is looking
at building on and expanding more flexible working options for staff, whilst
saving the council money. His vision is to have 10 per cent of City Service
staff - around 65 - working from home.
The Project has been submitted for the Municipal Journal Award category
“Employee Wellbeing” as it ensured that staff enjoy their working environment,
and are happy to stay in their jobs, as well as being more productive.
The homeworkers – Susan Slater, Gillian Jubb, Deborah Davison, Janet Pike,
Susan Thomas and Shirley Anderson – all reported feeling less stressed,
healthier, focused on work and relived they no longer had to travel to work.
Susan Thomas said: “I don’t feel isolated as I speak to our managers, other
homeworkers and colleagues on a daily basis.”
The arrangement has also seen a 25 per cent reduction in accommodation needs in
the Civic Centre, and staff have said their work-life balance has vastly
improved. The one-off set-up costs for homeworking can range from £530-£1,695
depending on how much equipment can be transferred from the office to the home.
The council has many alternative working arrangements in place, including
flexible working hours, flexible working for parents, part-year working, and
homeworking.
Executive member for Modernisation, Transformation and Regulation Coun Anita
Lower said: “Enhancing the quality of life for the council’s employees has to
be encouraged through challenging conventional working practices and existing
office arrangements.
“Work will start to roll out the pilot beyond City Service to the rest of the
authority.”
Note to editors: The six participants would collectively travel 705 miles to
get to and from work in one week. This equates to a saving of 8,460 miles
during the three-month pilot period, and would represent an annual figure of
29,610 miles for the six (based on a 42-working week year). This supports the
Sustainable Travel Plan in contributing to reducing congestion and pollution.
It can also be seen in the context of reducing the costs of work for the
employee.
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