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HOME WORKERS ON THE INCREASE
ACCORDING to
figures, home working is well on its way to becoming the norm
amongst the UK’s SMEs. 29% small businesses allows at least 10% of
their workforce to work from home on a regular basis. 6% have over
half their employees working from home regularly.
The research, from car hire firm Enterprise Rent-A-Car, is the
latest evidence pointing towards a drastic shift in modern working
practices. The trend is forcing companies to think more
carefully about how they work, with SMEs in particular facing the
issue of how to bring employees together. Gone are the days when
team meetings were straightforward or getting people out to meet a
client was easy.
The various technological advances which have facilitated “virtual
teams,” such as teleconferencing and blackberries, can help a
great deal. Face to face meetings, though, present different
challenges. Employees travelling from their own homes to
offsite meetings can create significant issues. The transport
solution for home workers currently includes a mix of their own
cars, pool cars, public transport, hire cars and taxis. However,
some of these options fall short of fulfilling the duty of care and
environmental responsibilities faced by all modern businesses.
Rob Ingram, UK business development manager at Enterprise
Rent-A-Car, comments:- “The home worker phenomenon is creating
a completely different working culture in the UK and SMEs are at the
forefront. The trend makes perfect sense for small businesses as it
keeps overheads down and fits in well with the entrepreneurial
spirit that the sector exemplifies. But SMEs do need to be aware of
the issues home working can create. Transport is potentially
the biggest area of concern. Simply relying on employees to use
their own cars can throw up all sorts of environmental and duty of
care issues. The cost of paying mileage reimbursement to employees
can also pile up, so options such as public transport, leasing cars
and hire vehicles should all be considered.” |
Liverpool cabbies on board for 08
VISITORS
to Liverpool can look forward to a cultural conversation next time
they hail a cab in the city. The Liverpool Culture Company and
Merseytravel are giving out free information packs to the city’s
hackney cab drivers to equip them for next year’s European Capital
of Culture celebrations. A team of 08 Volunteers will be
visiting Liverpool’s city centre and airport taxi ranks over the
next week to distribute the packs, which contain a 2008 events
calendar and foreign language phrase book, along with a DVD giving
advice on customer service.
Councillor Warren Bradley, leader of Liverpool city council and
deputy chair of the Liverpool Culture Company, said:-
“Liverpool is expecting an extra 1.7 million visitors during 2008
and we want to ensure that each and every one of them receives the
warmest of welcomes to our amazing city. Taxi drivers are
frequently the first people visitors meet when they arrive in
Liverpool – especially at the airport and train stations – so they
are often responsible for creating that all-important first
impression. But this scheme isn’t just about improving
customer service, it’s also a way of making sure that taxi drivers
feel involved and engaged in the Capital of Culture celebrations.”
Cllr Mark Dowd, chairman of Merseytravel, said:- “First
impressions last and we want to ensure taxi drivers have the support
and information they need to make sure the impression they leave is
the best it can be. Taxis are an important part of any
successful transport network and we hope as many as possible
continue to be ambassadors, not only for Liverpool, but for the
whole of Merseyside.”
Each pack includes a special quiz made up of 50 questions testing
taxi drivers’ knowledge of Liverpool’s history, heritage and
culture. The first 500 male and 100 female drivers to return the
quiz with 40 or more correct answers will win a special Liverpool 08
polo shirt (with a logo on the back for the benefit of their
passengers!). The taxi driver packs are part of the 08 Welcome
initiative, launched in 2005, which is designed to improve
Liverpool’s customer service offer in the build-up to European
Capital of Culture. Working with a number of strategic partners, the
Culture Company has put more than 2,000 front line customer service
staff through the ‘welcome’ training course, including more than 500
hackney cab drivers. The course – which teaches individuals the
fundamentals of good customer service – has been so successful that
Liverpool’s licensing authority has now made it mandatory for all
new drivers.
Kris Donaldson, acting chief executive of the Liverpool Culture
Company, said:- “This pack is part of a wider programme of
work that puts customer service staff right at the heart of
Liverpool’s preparations for Capital of Culture. We want
everyone who deals with the public – whether they drive a cab or
pull pints in a pub – to act as ambassadors for Liverpool, and take
an active role in promoting their city and all the great things that
are happening here.” |
