Home beats the beach in ideal work environment

More workers than ever look to move away from office environment

The Future Laboratory predicts that by 2012, there will be over 5.5million workers who will work away from their desks. New research confirms that over nine out of ten (91%) workers wish to opt out of a traditional office environment with outdoor locations coming a close second to working from home.

Celebrating the start of summer, Microsoft Windows Mobile is introducing their campaign with the first ever public ëtree-officeí in Pimlico Gardens. With 14% of British workers claiming that their favourite place to work would be the beach, and a further 10% whoíd love to work from their park or garden, the ëtree-officeí demonstrates that it is possible to work from anywhere.

James McCarthy from Microsoft Windows Mobile commented: ìThe ëtree-officeí shows businesses that it is possible for workers to be free from their desks and still be able to work, and employees that their dreams of working outdoors can be realised. In fact, mobile working is all about being liberated, having more control over your day and at last more freedom in your lifeî.

Despite fears that allowing workers to choose to work from home, from the park, or even from the beach, may make them less productive, evidence shows that this is not the case. Tom Stewart, from System Concepts, an international expert on people and technology, explains: ìIf workers have the freedom to explore different ways of working, they will be less stressed, more effective and more productive. Also, giving people more choice is empowering, raises morale and improves the relationships between employees and their bosses ñ itís a win winî.

By allowing workers greater freedom of choice, businesses can also help reduce their carbon footprint. If many workers chose not to commute into work, experts have estimated that the CO2 emissions for a single person could be reduced by over a tonne per year by each worker not driving at peak hours.

Mobile working is going to become more essential in the future, as respondents from Microsoft Windows Mobileís research showed that 50% of people work longer hours now than they did five years ago and almost a third (27.8%) believe that their hours will increase over the next five years.

New research also shows that in order to keep workers happy and productive, it will become necessary to give workers greater flexibility for these increased hours. In fact, 73% of people consider the ability to work flexibly a deciding factor when choosing a new job; while 52% of workers believe they would enjoy a less stressful working life as a benefit of working remotely.

With the advent of mobile working, it becomes practical, and even productive, for employees to choose when and where they work. James McCarthy comments ìUltimately, work should not be a place you go, but a thing you doî.