At the end of June, new legislation was introduced by the UK government allowing all employees the right to request flexible working if they have been employed by a company for over 6 months.
The new legislation will bring a further increase in the number of people working from home and on flexible hours. A survey by a large UK telecommunications company revealed that more than half of workers were unaware of the new law, already 2 out of 5 employees spend four hours or more working away from the office and this is set to increase.
With the government extending the rights previously reserved for carers and those looking after children, it is becoming harder for businesses to ignore the case for investing in technologies such as hosted VoIP that allow employees greater flexibility.
Packnet’s Director Patrick Byrnes had this to say about the new legislation:
“Many modern businesses are already aware that flexible working can improve productivity and staff morale, while helping them retain their most talented staff. The evolution of this law further validates the case for SME’s investment in hosted VoIP and other mobile business communications built on a foundation of superfast broadband and 4G internet connectivity.”
IP-based technologies like VoIP and video conferencing are capable of modernising and future proofing business communications, offering benefits and features not available in traditional telephony systems. VoIP is no longer just a cheaper alternative to traditional telecommunications like in its early days; in many ways it far surpasses its predecessors quality, and the additional benefits exclusive to VoIP make it all the more viable to UK businesses looking to adhere to the new legislation.
Setting up and preparing a workplace for a VoIP system is much easier these days, especially with the many hosted and cloud VoIP options available. Features such as voicemail-to-email can be highly beneficial in a busy workplace where missed calls and voicemail are sometimes forgotten about. Companies can also benefit from implementing virtual phone numbers, allowing regional customers to contact a local number for their enquiries, as well as employees being able to answer phone calls whether they are in the office or at home.
Overall, the features and benefits of VoIP are perfect for companies looking to embrace the new flexible working legislation, and with research suggesting that more than half of workers would like to take advantage of flexible hours, there has never been a better time to invest in new technology.
