The consortium has been formed to help British employers understand the benefits of providing flexible working environments.

Transport Minster Norman Baker has announced the formation of the 'Anywhere Working'. The consortium has been formed to help British employers understand the benefits of providing flexible working environments and to enable employees to access the tools that they need to work in a more flexible way.

The founding members of the consortium, which include Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Vodafone Group plc (LON:VOD), have also pledged to educate organisations on the available technologies and resources to support the ability to work away from offices and promote alternatives to travel.

Flexible working benefits

For employers, flexible working has proven to deliver tangible benefits. The ability to work in a variety of locations can reduce business travel costs and increase productivity, in addition to reducing employees' stress and absenteeism; and can enable employees to be closer to customers and partners. It also provides organisations with contingency plans for disruptive events, both foreseen and unexpected.

Whether these take the form of nationwide issues such as the disruption caused by severe weather; are regional issues – such as the 800,000 visitors a day expected in and around London during the Olympics; or are personal issues such as a broken down car or boiler, disruptive events block productivity and cost businesses time and money.

What's next?

Following a planning period throughout November and December 2011, the consortium will launch an online hub of resources for organisations in January 2012, which will include training, trial technology, best practice case studies and special offers on products provided by the consortium members.

This is to be followed by a series of interactive events for employers and employees during Anywhere Working Week, which will take place in February 2012. During this week the consortium will announce a series of mechanisms for measuring and bench-marking the cost, time and carbon savings achieved as a result of organisations embracing Anywhere Working.

Transport Minister Norman Baker said: "In a world where communication technologies offer the means to travel around the world in an instant without travelling at all, encouraging individuals and business to think flexibly about what ‘being there’ means is simply the smart thing to do.

"The advantages are undeniable – productivity and efficiency savings, a reduced carbon footprint, employee wellbeing – and are for both companies and their workers."