anywhere working guide

7/29/2019 Anywhere Working Guide

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THE ANYWHEREWORKINGGUIDE


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HOW TOUSE THISGUIDE

We believe work is something you do, not

somewhere you go.

Flexible working offers businesses and individuals clearadvantages. Improved well-being and a reduction in carbonemissions? Check. Boosted productivity? Check. Savings

in time and money, and an ability to side-step disruptionswithout breaking a sweat? Check, one-two.So, where to start? Thats where this guide come in. We believe

work is something you do, not somewhere you go. In the pagesthat follow youll nd tips and tricks for working smarter, healthierand more efciently. Find out how to implement a exible workingpolicy (page 8), and how others have fared (page 14). Get to gripswith the ultimate Anywhere Working kit, from technology to top apps(page 16). Discover the savings you could make with our AnywhereWorking calculator (page 4), and learn how exible working couldsave you in a crisis (page 18). Everything you need to know to startre-inventing the way you work is here.

Join the Anywhere Working community

Anywhere Working was established to help the UK embrace exible

working for the benet of business and individuals. Our supportersand partners include WWF, WorkingMums, Transport for London,Nokia and Microsoft.

Visit anywhereworking.org to calculate how much time, moneyand CO2 you could save by working exibly, add your voice to ourcampaign, and join the Anywhere Working community. We lookforward to hearing from you!

@anywhere_work | anywhereworking.org


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WARPSPEED?

ANYWHERE+WORKING= :)

What could you possibly gain from working exibly? Usethe Anywhere Working calculator to nd out.

The government has set out new exible

working rules in a bid to transformoutdated working practices.

But will they work?

Tom Rouse, 24

Media relations ofcer

The daily commute cansometimes be the mostfrustrating aspect of my workingweek. The idea of workingexibly is an appealing one butits hard to quantify. Is it reallyworth it? Its easier to focuson getting through each daywithout taking a look at thebigger picture. Thats where theAnywhere Working calculator is

In November 2012, UK DeputyPrime Minister Nick Cleggannounced a huge shake-up ofexible working arrangements.Under the new system, the rightto request exible working will be

extended to all UK employees.The Deputy Prime Minister said,

I nd it remarkable... that we have

persisted with such outdated rulesfor so long. This is a journey, a

transformation of rules which havegot stuck in a kind of 1950s time

warp for far too long, and I hopethat with [this] announcementwere yanking these rules into the21st century.

The changes are set to make lifeeasier for working parents, enablingthem more exibility to balance the

demands of childcare and work.With the UK lagging far behindother countries in overall femaleemployment, it is believed the

changes will allow more women toreturn to work.

so useful. The big thing for me istime. By working exibly just oneday a week I can save nearly aweek of time over the course ofthe year. Thats a whole holiday!So, rather than spend timeracing to get to work, in 2013 Iplan to start racing for somethingelse. This is the year I run myrst half-marathon.

15th - UKs OECD ranking for overall female employment 700,000 - additional women who would move into work if the UK raised its

female employment performance to that of better performing countriesby 2020.

1.4 million - additional women who would move into work if the UKmanaged to raise rates to the average among the top ve

performing countries.

Source: Resolution Foundation, 2011. The Missing Million: The Potential for femaleemployment to raise living standards in low to middle income Britain.

The Missing Miion

Numbers of days exible working

Savings based on an average UK commute using publictransport, costing 1,581 per year, generating 281kg CO2,and taking 4.6 weeks.


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TAKE IT AllbAcK

What would you do with ve extra weeks a year?

The average UK worker who commutes spends 52.8 minutesperday on their journey to and from work, which amounts to 4 hoursand 24 minutes per week and 5+ weeks per year. What would youdo if you had that time back?

Source: TUC, November 2012. Labour Force Survey data analysis.

You dont have tochain yourself to a desk

to be productive.

To show harried commuters there'san alternative to working in theofce, the Anywhere Working teamtook to the streets of London withthe pedal-powered AnywhereWorking Mobile Ofce.

Kitted out with a Windows 8tablet, a WiFi hotspot, a mobilecharging station - and lots ofcoffee - the mobile ofce was a

hit with unsuspecting passersby.The day was a lot of fun, but therewas a serious message behind it:you dont have to chain yourself to

Working remotely? Come on. Youmight as well work from the moon.But you cant, because theres no airon the moon. So you wouldnt getmuch done. Which is my point.

No, Im a rm believer in bums

on seats. If people didnt comeinto work they wouldntbe at work.Therefore they wouldntdo any work.Thats inescapable logic.

Ill tell you what else the moondoesnt have. Gravity. Or not much

of it. Try holding a board meeting inthat kind of atmosphere.

No, thank you.

a desk to be productive. Why notexplore exible working options?Of course, you don't have to hopaboard a rickshaw to work exibly.

But it's nice to know the optionis there. Watch the AnywhereWorking Mobile Ofce video at

anywhereworking.org!

Dont listen to

any of this

Gavin Frisk, 38,

business executive

THE OIcEAlTERNATIvE

I think therell be more volunteering. Peo-

ple want to give back. Flexible working

is great, as long as it works for both theorganisation and the employee.

Steve, HR Director Charlotte, Account Manager

Id read a lot of books and hang out with

people more. Looking ahead, I think wewill work less. It would be great to see a

four-day week become normal.

Id spend more time with the kids. Or

take the summer off and go for a bikeride around Europe. I ride a bike to work

so probably dont commute for as longas most people though...

Lucy, Barista Andy, Art Director

Id get out of London! Technology is

advancing really fast. Its pretty daunting

actually - things could get out of control!But it will denitely be a big part of our

working lives.


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TAKE THEPlUNGE

SO, YOURE RARING TO GO.OUR IvE-STEP PlAN WIll GET

YOU O TO A lYING START.

Flexible working has long been an underground hit.Could 2013 be the year it nally goes mainstream?

Eauate your needsTake a 30,000 foot view. What could

improve productivity and employeewell-being?

Make it a team eortGive people at every level of yourorganisation an opportunity to shareinsights before, during and afterimplementation.

Defne suessDecide how you will measure thesuccess of your exible workingpolicy and set goals.

Support your peopeEnsure managers are well-resourced and set expectations.Share this information as part ofa communications plan to keeppeople fully informed.

launh a piotTest your plan by running a small-scale pilot scheme for a set periodof time. Gather feedback, evaluateand make changes as required.

Congratulations! Youre nowready to roll out fexible working.

Graham Allcott,

Managing Director,

Think Productive

We started by running a three

month trial to test stress, energy lev-

els and productivity. The trial proved

very popular and weve kept it ever

since. For us, [the four-day week]

does three very important things:

1. It gives the company an edge in

hiring or retaining great people.

2. It helps us maintain a life outside

of the ofce (three-day weekendsare rarely too short whereas two-

day weekends in my experience

always y by!).

3. Lastly, it brings genuine efcien-

cies, such as reducing time lost in

set-up (from ve mornings to four),

reducing the likelihood of having

people working unproductively

because theyre tired, and creating

a certain amount of focus. With only

four days in the ofce, you want to

maximise each and every day!

lONDON 2012:A lExIblEWORKINGlEGAcY

One undoubted reason for exibleworking having a shot at the bigtime is the London 2012 Olympic

and Paralympic Games. From Brad-ley Wiggins sideburns to Danny

Boyles amazing opening ceremonycomplete with airborne HRH TheQueen, the Games were an incred-ible success. They also sparked amajor shift in business thinking.

According to a departmenthead at a major banking group,The Olympics allowed us to com-municate to everyone how to workremotely. That worked very well andmany people have now realised theycan remote work better and that will

be embedded in the business.A survey of 165 London busi-

nesses found that close to half

implemented exible working meas-ures during the Games, suggesting

a relaxing of attitudes towards moreexible ways of working. Some 27per cent of all businesses surveyedsaid they would keep homeworkingoptions, 17 percent would maintainthe exibility of working from otherlocations, 28 per cent exible hoursand 11 per cent compressed work-ing weeks.

Where do you think youll placein the race to embrace exible work-ing?

Source: London Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The nal hurdle: securing a business legacy.


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Boost your teamWork better together and maximise productivity

Get up to speedEmbrace the latest Anywhere Working technology

Stay in touch with your people

Manage your team wherever they happen to be

Stay in touch

Video conferencing is the future

Save time, money and the environment.

WORKANYWHERE


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TAcKlE STRESS GET ExcITEDAND MAKE STUWorking exibly is about being exible.

Lifes too short to be stressed at work. Unfortunately, work didnt get

the memo. So why not add exible working to your anti-stress toolkit?

Be an Anywhere Worker

Working exibly is aboutbeingexible: dealing with theunexpected and maintaining ahealthy work-life balance.This is a skill that takes practice.As you become more adept,youll begin to master previously

stressful situations.Manage itGood management is essentialfrom all team members,not just the person whosejob title says manager. Acaring, accommodating workenvironment can work wonders,even when tough deadlines arelooming. Be proactive aboutfostering a team you can rely on.Slow downTo-do list exploding? Workpiling up? Stop, take a breathand reect. Slowing down mayseem counter intuitive but with aclear mind, you will make betterdecisions. Rushed work only

creates further work.Dont multitaskForget the myth of multitasking.Focus on one thing and do itwell, then move onto the nextthing. When you focus single-mindedly on tasks, you completethem more quickly and to ahigher quality.

THE cOSTO STRESS

40 per cent - work-relatedillnesses in the UK due tostress

10.4 million - work days lostas a result

24 days - average amountof time taken off work perperson

Quick: drop what youre doing and do something else!

Carry a notebookAlways carry a notebook - andmake using it a habit. Capturebrainwaves before they oataway. Scrawl, scribble, jot andsketch. Many of the worldsgreatest ideas start here.Procrastinate

Cognitive psychologist havefound people solve problemsand come up with creative ideaswith their subconscious, evenif focusing on a completelydifferent task. Quick: drop whatyoure doing and do somethingelse!BrainstormCreativity loves a party. A personwho can draw creative ideasfrom others is just as valuable

as an inherently creative person.Put them together and see whathappens.Work up a sweatExercising has mental as wellas physical benets. All thoseendorphins can kick-start yourbrain, leaving you fresh and

ready for action. Boost yourcreativity by going for a run.Share your wisdomWant to learn more? Teach. Youllnd yourself looking at conceptsin fresh ways while helpingothers gain understanding,which is both rewarding andcreative.

Creativity drives more than business innovation. It also makes

us feel good. Working exibly means youll have more time todevote to creative projects. Use these tips to get a headstart

on the competition.


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WE WERE DETERMINED TODO THINGS DIERENTlY

When my husband and I left ourcorporate jobs - with their typicallong hours and total lack of work/lifebalance - we were determined to dothings differently.

The primary motivator was to builda business which enabled us tolive the lifestyles we wanted, notsomething which ruled our lives.We built our business with exible

working and location independencebuilt into the core.

What steps did you take to developand implement exible working?

Our business has been built aroundthe principle of being able to workexibly and from wherever we andour team wants to work. Havingthis goal in mind from the start hasenabled us to make all our strategicdecisions with this as a focus.

We approached the implementation

of this kind of business modelwith a clearly dened set of goals,

requirements and boundaries -identifying exactly what we wereexpecting from exible working andhow we wanted it to work for us and

our team.

Any tips for others consideringmaking the transition?

One of the biggest challenges forbusinesses making the transitionto exible working is control - andmaintaining control over whatpeople in the organisation are doingwhen theyre not in the ofce. For

Anywhere Workers, this can also bestressful - constantly feeling like theyhave to prove theyre working andnot slacking off!

Weve learned that putting in placethe right technology, alongside theright processes, has enabled us to

be condent that our team membersare doing what wed like them to bedoing, and that they have the toolsand processes in place to be ableto communicate this to us too.

Training can also be anotherchallenge - but again, using onlinetools such as video tutorials, trainingwebinars and combining this withlive meetings can help providevaluable on-the-job training, as wellas as a more structured program ofprofessional development.

What benets has exible workingcreated both for you personallyand for your organisation?

For us, we get to create and live thelifestyle we want - being able to bothstay at home/travel when we want,raise and educate our daughter andchoose the daily/weekly schedulewhich suits and works best for us.

Its the same for our team members.

For our business, its forced usto become very efcient, use

technology smartly and thnk verycarefully about what were buildingand how we build it. Its aboutbuilding a business mindfully, andthat has been a win-win-win for us.

What would you lose if you wentback to a non-exible style ofworking?

Everything weve so carefullybuilt over the past 8+ years! Thelifestyle, the ability to be stay athome parents and educators forour daughter and quite possibly the

networks and connections wevebuilt up, since they share similarmindsets, beliefs and values.

What would you never be without inyour exible working toolkit?

Despite the prevalence of tabletsand smartphones, I am the mostproductive on my laptop. Also, agood working knowledge of onlinetools and the options availablewhich are key enablers of theexible working business.

What is the future of exible workingfor you and your business?

Never say never, but its pretty mucha permanent xture and we willcontinue to build a remote workforcefor as long as we can see.

www.leawoodward.com@leawoodward

How business strategist Lea Woodward and herfamily embarked on a exible working adventure.


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THE UlTIMATE ANYWHEREWORKING KIT

The Laptop: Zenbook Touch

A superfast, ultra-portablelaptop is essential for Anywhere

Working. The sleek ZenbookTouch, powered by Intel and

Windows 8 ts the bill.

The Tablet: Surface

Surface Pro delivers trulyportable computing without

compromising on processingpower. This blisteringly fast

tablet PC with touch keyboard isperhaps the ultimate Anywhere

Working device.

The Phone: Nokia Lumia 920

Making calls, replying to emails,checking your diary and

keeping up to date with thelatest developments from your

team is essential. Nokiasagship Lumia handles all this

and more with ease.

The Charger: Duracell PortableCharger

Avoid your workstation turninginto an expensive frisbee by

carrying a portable charger forpower emergencies. Juice up

your tech on the go.

The Bag: IncasePathway Field Bag

A stylish yet reassuringly sturdybag can be the difference be-tween composure and chaos.

Keep your laptop safe in aquilted environment with plentyof room to spare for a tablet PC,

portable charger and all theleads you need.

Ofe

The ultimate app fororganising your notesacross devices.

Mirosot lyn

The essential app forany business personwho needs to com-municate on the go, nomatter where they arein the world. Try Lync

and Ofce 365 for freeat ofce.com.

itbit

FitBits dashboardapps on Windows 8and Windows Phoneshow your activitylevels..T

HE

APPS


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MANAGE A cRISIS

Dedicated to the Anywhere Worker...

The Anywhere Working Guide was lovingly created by theAnywhere Working Team: Neil, Emily, David, Janey and Aaron.

@anywhere_work | anywhereworking.org

Our partners

From a ooded dishwasher to, well,oods, weve all had to deal withemergencies that have kept us outof the ofce. Heres how to handlethose crises with aplomb and stillkeep doing your job effectively.

Weather warnings

Extreme weather seems here tostay. For commuters facing a sud-den weather bomb this can meanbeing stranded at home - or worse,the ofce!

Solution: If youre a manager or

business owner, now is the time toput in place a exible working planfor dealing with bad weather (seebox, below). When that tornado/snowstorm/escaped giant lizard hits,youll be well prepared.

Domestic alert

Domestic crises such as childcaremixups or appliance meltdowns area fact of life. Moreover, MurphysLaw stipulates that theyll often hap-pen at the worst possible time.

Solution: Make yourself an Any-where Working emergency kit (see

box) so youll be prepared to workfrom anywhere at a momentsnotice.

Power down

When Team Anywhere Workingexperienced an ofce power out-age, our well-honed exible workingsurvival skills kicked in...

Solution: With WiFi available inalmost every cafe, theres neverbeen a better time to be without anofce. Decamp to your local coffeeshop, library or other nearby WiFisanctuary. Pro tip: have an agreedgo-to destination should your ofcesuddenly become out of bounds.Additional pro tip: make sure its gotgood coffee.

System ailure

Train, plane or automobile: they can

all break down or be delayed. Whatto do?

Solution: Avoid the commute alto-gether. Not an option? Be prepared.That means packing your AnywhereWorking emergency kit - and pos-sibly a scarf. Good luck!

Emergency fexibleworking essentials

Contact details for all staff, includingmobile numbers and personal email ad-dresses: make it your priority to keep thisup to date

A communications plan: ensure youhave a process for getting vital messagesto colleagues in a crisis. Morse code isprobably not an option here

Portable charger: when the powers out,extra juice for your devices is priceless.Invest in a good quality charger.

Energy-lled snacks: there is a time and

a place for sugary treats. Sadly this is notone of them. Opt for healthy snacks suchas dried fruit and nuts to keep you going

SUPPORTING

ANYWHERE

WORKING INITIATIVE

ASPART OF

WWFSWORKFOR

SUSTAINABLE

TRANSPORT

Anywhere Working is joint initiatve between a host of organisations.

Anywhere Working is supported by the WWF, Department forTransport and TUC.


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Work Anywhere.

Save time, money and the environment

anywhere working guide

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