Progressive local authorities such as Warrington Borough Council find homeworking and hotdesking delivers building savings, improved service and greater employee satisfaction
Analysis finds building rationalisation critical to meeting efficiency targets and combating pressures on public finances
Implementing more flexible working patterns could save local authorities £1.1 billion in reduced building running costs alone, as well as improving job satisfaction for their 2.1 million employees. This is according to analysis from ntl:Telewest Business, the supplier of communications services to the public and private sectors.
Based on 2007 CIPFA Local Authority statistics which show that authorities across Great Britain currently own £116.9 billion of buildings[1] (excluding council houses), reducing the stock needed by just 1 per cent would save a total of £1.1 billion. Currently local authorities raise £24 billion annually through Council Tax. Even more could be realised if existing stock, often in prime central locations was sold or redeveloped in conjunction with the private sector.
These savings can be achieved simply by implementing advanced networks that link all council workers and enable them to access the information they need while working from other offices or from home, freeing up valuable council buildings which can then be sublet or sold. These flexible working practices can be deployed quickly and easily without needing large capital outlay or having to replace existing networks, ensuring fast savings for councils.
Importantly flexible working could actually improve frontline public services by enabling citizens to reach staff irrespective of their location, ensuring faster responses to queries. In addition, given the urban locations of most council offices greater homeworking would cut the environmental impact of staff commuting from suburban areas as well as potentially reducing congestion in towns and cities.
Reinvesting the money saved in greater public services would consequently ease the increasing pressure on local government finances. The combination of rising costs, 2008 central funding increases of 4 per cent and a cap on council tax rises mean that the majority of local authorities will need to find efficiencies or new sources of funding if they are to continue to supply services at current levels.
Adopting increased flexible working also has a proven positive impact on job satisfaction and allows better work/life balance. A 2007 study carried out by ntl:Telewest Business[2] found that employees believe that the option to work from home improves both performance and stress levels and reduces the environmental impact of commuting.
“With 2.1 million employees across England and Wales local authorities have the opportunity to take the lead when it comes to flexible working,” said John Cunningham, director of business markets, ntl:Telewest Business. “As our analysis shows, increased flexible working can not only save billions in building costs but it provides greater job satisfaction for employees and improved public services. In an era of rising costs and limited funding, deploying network technology to underpin flexible working needs to be high on the local authority agenda. This is a chance for local authorities to free up key civic buildings that can then be redeveloped to benefit the whole community.”
Amongst those local authorities reaping the benefits of flexible working is Warrington Borough Council.
Warrington Borough Council (http://www.warrington.gov.uk/) has put in place a flexible and homeworking strategy that utilises networking technology from ntl:Telewest Business that provides high speed access for employees directly into the council’s computer network. The flexible working initiative will mean members of staff can adopt practices such as ‘hotdesk’ schemes and working from home. Social services staff are equipped with out of hours mobile and home access to applications via the network that enables them to provide a full 24/7 service to citizens. A pilot exercise has already been put in place for staff in Warrington’s revenue & benefits team, and it is thought that 40% of staff in the corporate services directorate will be able to make use of the scheme. In addition to helping employees improve their work/life balance, council customers will receive a greater level of service as staff will be more readily available. It is also hoped the council will make costs savings by selling or subletting surplus building stock.
Peter Moffatt, head of service for property and facilities at Warrington Borough Council, says: “Flexible working represents the future for employers and staff and we are proud that Warrington is at the forefront of these new practices.
“Through working with ntl:Telewest Business, we hope to deliver our commitment to helping staff enjoy a greater work/life balance, improve productivity, and realise the financial benefits for council tax payers of reduced building use.”
ntl:Telewest Business’ £13 billion network delivers the next-generation speeds required to allow users to access the applications, data and communications they need, irrespective of location. The network offers the means to deploy converged services, provides resilience, operational flexibility and ease of use across the entire workforce, regardless of where individuals are working from.
