Avaya research uncovers new digital divide: mobile elite emerges as ruling class in business

South Africa, 10th June 2008 - Less than a fifth (17%) of companies have made provisions for all of their employees to work flexibly on a daily basis, even though 94% of the European workforce want access to such provisions.

This is an ever-increasing risk in a continent where nearly a third (31%) of employees say they would definitely change jobs to get access to flexible working conditions, all other factors remaining equal.

The findings come from a new independent research report commissioned by Avaya. "Flexible Working in Europe and Russia" reflects the attitudes of more than 3 000 workers across Europe and, according to Avaya, European businesses risk missing out not only on huge competitive advantage but on fulfilled and productive employees as they unconsciously create a digital divide within their workforces that alienates the non-privileged majority.

In fact, more than three-quarters (78%) of Europe's workforce would consider changing companies in exchange for flexible working practices and technologies.

It's not just family men and women that want the advantages of flexible working either: 78% of those surveyed indicated they would be prepared to work on for their employer after retirement if the flexible option were open to them. This could potentially create a vast, extremely knowledgeable potential workforce to help plug the "skills gap" and more effectively manage the business issue of the aging workforce.

"The digital divide used to be constructed of those who had access to technology and those who did not," said Bridget Kelly, Country Manager of Avaya sub-Saharan Africa. "What this report shows is a new digital divide: those companies that have unlocked the ability to truly gain workforce productivity and efficiency while retaining their best workers - and those who are putting their businesses at risk because they don't have the technology to support what their workers are asking for."

Other findings of the report include:

* 30% of senior managers think flexible working policies and technologies would allow their companies to compete more successfully on the global stage.

* SMEs are considerably less likely (57%) to offer flexible working conditions than larger companies (74%).

* Nearly half (44%) of employees think a company that lacks flexible working options betrays out-of-date working policies.

* More than a third (35%) of those who work in companies that do not offer flexible working believe their employer has the technology to do so but has chosen not to use it.

"Simple, scalable unified communications solutions can help companies deal with their workers' expectations swiftly and cost-effectively, while increasing overall business productivity. It's a win-win for everyone," concluded Kelly.

For the purposes of this survey, flexible working was defined as a situation in which employees are not expected to work during set hours or from their desks but are instead able to set their own flexible working hours and to work from the location they choose.