UK companies lost around £318 million as a result of the recent poor weather conditions.
Research by Green Flag discovered that ice and snow interrupted working patterns up and down the country, as 18 per cent of people were not able to complete their contracted hours because of the situation.
On top of this, some 51.4 million hours were lost in the seven-day period ending January 26th, as 19 per cent said they were too scared to drive because of the conditions, while a further five per cent tried and failed to make it into work.
The study highlights the benefits associated with mobile working, as it means workers do not have to make it into the office. Instead, they could complete their duties from the house, which can lead to an improvement in productivity.
This also opens up the possibility of more flexible working patterns, as employees would be free to conduct their tasks in a way that is beneficial to them.
Miranda Schunke, a spokeswoman for Green Flag, said: “It is not only the roads that have been frozen in the last week, for millions work commitments have been put on ice. In future, we may see more drivers following the continental lead and investing in winter tyres and snow chains to help them cope with difficult driving conditions.”
A recent survey by Newsworks – and carried out by YouGov – found that 29 per cent of people now own a tablet and a further seven per cent are planning to make a purchase in the next few months. This shows how the bring your own device (BYOD) trend is going to catch on, as employers are increasingly comfortable with staff using their own electronic equipment.
If BYOD does take off as expected, then mobile working will be much easier, as individuals will have the raw tools available to them.
