Telecoms firm Avaya is hoping to save up to £3.5m a year if a pilot scheme
is successful which enables staff to work from home using new technology .
Mike Young, HR director at Avaya, said remote working is a big part of the
company’s plans and it is trialling a new Virtual Private Network system that
lets staff check e-mails and log on to the corporate network securely from
their home computers.
The system has a fixed cost for internet connection, which could bring
savings of around £3,500 for each of its 1,000 remote workers.
The technology, which runs various types of data such as telephone calls and
e-mails across a single line, is being piloted by 40 employees.
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In a separate initiative, Avaya is seeking potential leaders through an
informal process of asking staff to provide innovative ideas. Staff identified
as having leadership potential were invited to an event featuring an
inspirational speaker to encourage them to make the most of their talents.
Young said the leadership scheme is ongoing and is helping the firm develop
the next generation of senior mangers and create an employer brand.
