LEIGH ROBINSON looks forward to National Work From Home Day and Work Wise Week.
In what could be the largest mass absence from work for a generation, an estimated five million people will not be going to work on Thursday, May 15.
None of them will be making excuses.
And none of their employers will be accusing them of skiving.
For the third year, a day in May has been chosen as National Work from Home Day.
Led by the likes of BT and Transport for London, and with the approval of organisations such as the TUC, CBI and British Chambers of Commerce, employers and staff around the UK are being encouraged to work from home that day, so that everyone can experience the benefits.
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National Work from Home Day is organised by Work Wise UK, a national not-for-profit initiative which promotes smarter working practices - such as flexible, remote and mobile working, and working from home.
It aims to give half the working population, some 14 million, the opportunity to work smarter by 2011.
"This is not a day off to those participating," said Phil Flaxton, chief executive of Work Wise UK.
"It's the chance for hard-working, open-minded people to demonstrate that without the stress induced by the workplace environment, with the often long commute many have to endure, people can be even more productive by occasionally working from home.
"We say you lose nothing by
trying it out, and you may be surprised by the positive impact of the experiment."
The day marks the start of Work Wise Week, running until Wednesday, May 21, consisting of a number of themed days and events beyond the first.
Friday, May 16 will focus on the significant positive impact smarter working can have on the environment - both in terms of the reduced need to travel and also a longer-term reduction in resources and infrastructure to support a smarter working workforce.
May 17/18 will be Wise Work Weekend, a consumer-focused initiative to provide guidance and help to those people who would like to work smarter.
Monday, May 19 will look at the transport impacts of smarter working.
A reduction in the need to travel and the staggered time of travel resulting from smarter working will significantly help in solving the problems of traffic congestion and overcrowding of public transport.
Tuesday, May 20 will focus on employee benefits and social impacts of smarter working, in terms of improving work/life balance, leisure and family benefits, and the knock-on effects on health and relationships.
Various organisations with interests in these aspects will be involved in the day, both nationally and in the regions.
The emphasis will be on promoting a better work/life balance - working smarter, living better.
Wednesday, May 21 will be the last day of Work Wise Week, and will feature the Work Wise Summit at the QEII Conference Centre in London.
The summit will cover many of the elements of smarter working through a series of keynote speeches and panel discussions, including organisations such as TUC, the AA, BT and Transport for London.
The emphasis will be upon making the UK more competitive in the face of growing economies in Asia, enabling a second industrial revolution to make the UK one of the most progressive economies in the world.
Further information about Work Wise Week and the events planned for the individual days will be issued through the media over the coming weeks. See www.workwiseuk.org for more details.
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