In light of the Law Society’s Quality of Life debate where flexible working options were found to be an important factor in staff retention, the legal sector appears to be actively seeking ways to redress the important work/life balance question.

Whilst the sector’s early adoption of BlackBerry supports this statement, there have been a number of factors that have delayed the process, but with many top firms and companies such as Lawyers Direct now championing the trend of Homeworking, this looks set to change.
 
We take a closer look in to why the legal industry and commerce as a whole are now able to, once a policy is in place, easily implement the technical aspect.

Across all industry sectors higher productivity, greater job satisfaction, lower absenteeism and staff turnover are cited as just some of the advantages following introduction of more balanced working procedures. Not forgetting a priority for many of us these days - the environmental and economic benefits a reduction in commuting brings.

Not surprisingly then, a recent survey from O2 of 530 small businesses found that 50% do not work in formal offices. Of that 50%, 24% had offices but worked remotely or from home, while 18% had made the transition in the past eight months.

Similarly, a comprehensive report from the CBI reflected that of the 513 firms and public-sector organisations they polled, 46% now offered flexible working to staff - a sharp rise in labour flexibility from 14% in 2006 to 46% in 2008.

So what is behind the big increase?

Certainly, within the wider market there are indications that contributing factors such as our current economy and addressing work/life balance are responsible, however the main enabler appears to be that it is now easier than ever to implement secure, reliable and cost effective technology required to make it possible.

Initial concerns over the upfront costs of home set-up, potential IT problems and communication difficulties have been dispelled due to the vast improvements made to infrastructure and technology. Quite simply, now more than ever, it is possible to have all your office functionality at a low-cost within the home, whilst still being fully involved in office culture.

As access to Broadband services and the introduction of the BT 21CN, (which will enable delivery of voice, higher bandwidth IP connections and multi media products such as on demand interactive TV) continues to develop, our ability to work from anywhere, whilst still maintaining a professional presence is becoming a reality.

Include in these developments the introduction of IP telephony. The use of broadband connectivity instead of a traditional phone line enables, amongst other capabilities, free calls between offices and homeworkers, ‘one number portability’ and a full range of telephony features such as voicemail, voicemail to email, call forwarding and divert. Your location may change but your ability to respond quickly whilst portraying your professional appearance need not.
 
It’s certainly food for thought, especially whilst we weather the financial storm, that those companies who explore their options wisely and focus on return on investment in this area, could allow themselves to operate more efficiently and increase productivity.

So how can you be flexible about flexibility? Knowing what is possible and the technology available can help you make an informed decision.

We can help you with this and more besides, so why not contact us on 0845 136 0012 or legal@total-ltd.co.uk.