Today marks the end of a four day trial of civil servants’ ability to work from home during the predicted chaos caused by the Olympics. During the 2012 games which are a mere five months away, staff from Whitehall and the public sector will be ordered not to commute, and instead are being asked to work from home.
If ‘Operation StepChange’ is deemed a success then there are those who advocate making these reforms permanent. This could transform the civil service as we know it, something that was welcomed by British political author and blogger Richard North who said, “Of course they can do it…just like I have for the last 30 years. But [amazingly-sic] it takes something like a potential gridlock to make it happen on a larger scale. The good thing is that we might get a legacy from the Games that might be worth having”
Effective communication and business continuity is a basic priority for a majority of organisations. It’s well documented that a break down here can lead to a whole host of problems including reputational damage, as well as financial loss.
With 800,000 spectators, plus 55,000 competitors travelling to and fro, the effect is expected to be that of a general strike or an especially heavy snow fall. However, as much as the Government is encouraging to work from home, it also points out The Olympics may slow down Internet speed and reduce the capacity available. According to a Cabinet Office report published on the London 2012 website, “All communication methods will need to be reconsidered, and any kind of video streaming or video-conferencing is likely to be impossible during peak times this summer”. We doubt that quote is a direct result of this latest trial, but what the Coalition need to be 100% clear on is one message. One instruction needs to go out to everyone. We don’t need mixed messages; businesses need to be clear on what they’re doing instead.
Here’s hoping there are some more concrete findings published soon.
What do you think of ‘Operation StepChange’? Would you want to work from home during the Olympics?
