Work Wise Week begins in the UK

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A week of themed days to promote more flexible and productive working has kicked off today.

The five-day Work Wise Week encourages both staff and their bosses to think about better ways of working, be it how they commute to the office through to how they meet with their colleagues.

Each day carries a theme, with day one promoting smarter travel – ditching the car at rush hour and giving public transport a go, decreasing traffic jams for all.

The week continues with a day dedicated to working on the move, a day devoted to virtual meetings and a day committed to remote working, rather than hitting the central office.

It culminates in the fifth annual National Work from Home day on Friday, encouraging people to not even step outside their front doors to get to work.

Phil Flaxton, chief executive (CEO) of Work Wise UK, said: "This year, smarter working is more relevant than ever. With the recession biting hard, businesses have to find ways of reducing costs whilst maintaining productivity and smarter working practices are an integral part of the solution."

"I would urge the UK's working population to support and engage with Work Wise Week 2010."

The week has the support of a range of employers and representatives of their staff.

Brendan Barber, general secretary of the TUC, said: "The quality of working life is rapidly becoming an important issue for many working people. A growing number of employees want more flexibility about when and where they work."

"Employers who can meet this demand for different ways of working will gain valuable benefits in terms of improvements in recruitment, motivation and productivity."

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