BT employees highlight benefits and drawbacks of teleworking: Survey reveals most work longer hours but have better quality of life

Teleworking increases productivity, reduces absenteeism and improves quality of life, but also increases working hours, a survey of almost 2,000 staff registered with Workabout, BT’s official teleworking scheme, has revealed. BT, one of Europe’s leading telecommunication companies and one of the largest employers of “flexible workers” in Britain, has around 108,000 employees. It began implementing telework schemes in 1990 and now has more than 5,000 Workabout staff. This voluntary scheme, administered by BT’s property section, provides equipment and other support to teleworkers who give up permanent BT office space to move to a home‐based, mobile working pattern.