London Company Maintains Progress Despite Olympic Occurrence in Capital City
The 2012 London Olympics sparked a significant shift in business operations, with a surge in remote jobs to manage employee presence and transportation challenges. According to a study by remote working consultancy Portal, around half (48%) of London businesses allowed employees to work from home during the Games. This was a strategic move to alleviate pressure on the city's transport network, which saw more than 60 million passengers use the Underground, a 30% increase from usual and the most in its 150-year history.
The government and transport secretary, Philip Hammond, encouraged employers to consider remote jobs for the Olympics, with the pledge to allow 'significant numbers of people to work from home during the Games' made in June 2011. This call was echoed by many businesses, with 50% of businesses nationally, as per a survey by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), intending to allow their employees to work from home during the Olympics.
However, the strategy of remote jobs during the Olympics was not universally accepted. London mayor Boris Johnson described remote work as a 'skiver's paradise' on the eve of the Olympics opening ceremony. Despite this, nearly two-thirds of businesses that allowed remote jobs during the Olympics saw their business continue with little or no drop in productivity.
Investment in new technology was key to making remote jobs a success. Portal's research showed that most organizations found that remote working was one of many aspects of the Olympics that 'just went right.' The survey revealed that 41% of businesses had invested in new technology for remote working, allowing access to email, video-conferencing, and critical business systems.
However, just under a third of London businesses failed to make any plans for the Olympics, and over a third of those saw a 'significant' drop in productivity. This highlights the importance of planning and preparation when implementing remote jobs strategies.
Despite the occasional scepticism, the 2012 London Olympics marked a turning point in the acceptance and implementation of remote jobs in the UK. Boris Johnson's quip about remote work being a 'skiver's paradise' seemed to be proved wrong as businesses thrived with their employees working from home. It demonstrated that with the right planning, investment, and technology, remote jobs can be a successful and productive solution, even during high-pressure events like the Olympics.
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