News
To down load a copy of the MATISSE Teleworking Pilot trial report CLICK here matisse_report_v1
To down.load a copy of the MATISSE Teleworking implementation toolkit CLICK here matisse_toolkit.v1
£350 to be added to cost of driving to the Office?
(added 24th Sep 2007)
According to a report by transport correspondent Ben Webster in the Times today, a new parking-space tax will significantly raise the cost of driving to the office
Commuters face a £350 tax per annum on workplace parking spaces in an attempt to encourage them out of their cars and on to public transport.
The tax is being planned as an alternative to congestion charging because it is thought to be much cheaper and easier to collect. Nottingham City Council is the first local authority planning to introduce the tax. Eight other councils, including Devon County Council, are understood to be considering similar schemes.
Under the Nottingham initiative, employers with more than ten parking spaces will have to pay the tax and most are expected to pass the cost on to staff.
This possible future move might act as a spur and persuade a few more of the South's commuting motorists to try one or more of the alternative commuting methods during the eHampshire Smart Commute Week (29th Oct to 2nd Nov). Visit http://www.ehampshire.org/matisse for more details
MATISSE 07/08 Programme Official Press Release
(17th September 2007)
Increase Productivity, Reduce Stress Levels & Save Costs
- Learn how to work smarter with MATISSE
Increasingly, to maintain profitability, competitiveness and become an ‘employer of choice’, companies are having to adopt smarter working practices.
MATISSE, an initiative being led by Hampshire County Council’s Economic Development Office in conjunction with the eHampshire Partnership, aims to encourage Hampshire businesses to look at adopting flexible/smarter working practices that are both practicable and beneficial to their business, and embed them as part of their daily working routine.Click here to Read More
150% increase in Teleworking (1997-2005)
(added 11th Sep 2007)
The Independent (10th Sep) reports a large increase in the number of British employers offering their staff the opportunity to "telework" according to the CBI in its latest Employment Trends survey.
Figures for the number of teleworkers - they were first collected officially in 1997 - have just been updated The original research in 1997 showed that 921,000 (4 per cent) of the UK workforce teleworked at least one day in the review period specifically working at home using information technology to keep in touch with the workplace. This has increased by more than 150 per cent since then, to 2.4 million (8 per cent) in spring 2005.
Teleworkers also make up an increasingly large proportion of all those working from home – 77 per cent of all home-workers are now teleworkers, compared with only 40 per cent in 1995.
The main occupations for teleworkers were managers and senior officials (23 per cent of teleworkers), associate professional and technical (also 23 per cent), and professional (18 per cent). Almost one in five of skilled tradespeople telework.
The Government's recent Work-life Balance Employee Survey showed 44 per cent of those who had the option of working from home regularly took up the option.
More Quit Britain for a Better-Life
(added 28th August 2007)
Long-term migration from the Uk hit a record 385,000 in the 12 months to July. Amongst a variety of reasons cited for the increase, including stealth taxes, the bad weather, was what was described as the changing face of Britain.
A spokesperson for the Policy Research Insttitute said "People are looking for a better quality of life. Very few actually leave because they think the country is going to the dogs". This view was shared by David Nicholson-Lord, research associate at the Optimum Population Trust who said, "Out-migration has being climbing for several years...evidence strongly suggests it is driven by a perceived decline in quality of life, with congestion, queues, overcrowding and general lack of space a key element"
The UK is the 4th most densely populated country and the population is forecast to increase by 10 million over the next 50 to 60 years. With many of those leaving likely to be skilled-professionals, experts feel that the unsustainably high population may already be causing economic damage - employers, be warned!
80% of Employers failing to retain staff
(added 20th August 2007)
Almost 80 per cent of employers struggled to keep hold of staff last year forcing them to turn to migrant workers and retrain less skilled employees, according to a study published today.by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
Nicola Monson, author of the report, said: "Only half of employers currently have a formal resourcing strategy, which suggests many are not planning for the future skills requirements of their organisation."
The survey of 900 employers by CIPD found that a lack of necessary skills was the biggest barrier to recruitment followed by higher pay expectations of employees. It urged employers to offer more flexible working arrangements, to increase training and to make more use of migrant workers.
A separate study by the Social Market Foundation argued that improving the skills of 6.8m disabled people of working age could provide a £13bn boost to the economy if the employment rate for disabled people were raised to the same level as that of the able-bodied.
The Cost of Sickness/Absence
(added 28th June 2007)
DWP Minister Lord McKenzie today announced a new vocational rehabilitation task group to help ill or injured people stay in or return to work, and called on employers to do more to support their employees. 175 million working days are lost to sickness absence each year, costing businesses and the economy around £13 billion. Being out of work also affects physical and mental health, and returning to work is often crucial to an individual's full recovery. But very few employers currently offer occupational health or vocational rehabilitation to their employees. Further information is available from: http://www.workplacehealthconnect.co.uk
The MATISSE programme has written to the Workplace Health Connect team suggesting that they place more emphasis on the role Smarter-Working can play in achieving a healthier less stressed work-style.
Climate Savers' Computing Initiative
(added 28th June 2007)
A range of major computer companies, including Intel, Google, Dell, IBM and Microsoft, have joined forces with the environmental campaign organisation the World Wildlife Fund, to launch the Climate Savers' Computing Initiative. For more details about the programme go to http://www.climatesaverscomputing.org/
UK staff being 'denied' Flexible Working
(added 19th June 2007)
According to an EOC (Equal opportunities Commission) report just published, UK companies lag behind their European counterparts in offering flexible working, a report has suggested. This has left many people stuck in a culture of fixed hours and office "presenteeism", the Equal Opportunities Commission study says.
Of 8,000 firms quizzed, 90% in mainland Europe made flexitime available, compared with 48% in the UK. only one in five UK firms give staff chances to work away from the office. Only one in five UK firms give staff chances to work away from the office. This was half as many as in nations such as Germany and Denmark.
20% of Company Car Drivers spend 5 hours per week stuck in congestion! (
added 12th June 2007)
Trafficmaster reports the UK has seen a 0.8% increase in congestion in the first quarter of 2007, compared to 2006. According to the CBI, congestion is estimated to cost the UK economy as much as £20 billion per year in resources and lost time, meaning an additional £160 million has already been added to this figure in the first three months of 2007 – around £74,000 every hour.
Philip Hale, spokesman for Trafficmaster, said: "We all know where our local congestion black spots are – and many people have heard of some of the nation’s worst roads. The problem is we all continue to use these roads when they’re most congested, despite knowing we’re likely to hit a traffic jam.
"Our Congestion Report shows that congestion is a nationwide problem and is still on the increase. The first step in reducing the problem is identifying and avoiding it.
Further insight from the UK Congestion Report shows that while the majority of rush hour commuting happens between 7:30am and 8:30am, peak commuter hours get earlier as the week progresses – we get up earlier but also leave work earlier with the weekend on the horizon.
RAC Foundation research for the Report found 20 per cent of company car drivers spend more than five hours a week in congestion, but half find their employers ‘not at all’ supportive over flexible work practices to avoid commuting.
Edmund King, Executive Director of the RAC Foundation, said: "We must get smarter by using traffic information and in-car technology to avoid the worst congestion. We must also change the way we work and time when we commute to reduce congestion and pollution. Travelling out of the peak or working from home one day a week can have great benefits for the economy and environment."
Sydney too!
(added 8th June 2007)
It may have a third of the population of the UK but Australia's major cities like Sydney, are also finding that they need to wake up to the economic and environmental threat of continued reliance on the car and low take-up of more family and planet friendly Smarter Working methods...
According to City Mayor Clover Moore, Sydney's traffic pollution could kill more people than road accidents. If Sydney does not act now to tackle pollution, poor air quality could be killing one person every four hours by 2030 - eight times the current rate for road deaths in the city. This was the bleak picture painted by the city's Lord Mayor, when she announced the results of a report released at the launch of new environmental body Sustainable Sydney 2030.
If Sydney's love affair with the car continues at the current rate, by 2030 air pollution could kill one Sydneysider every four hours - eight times the number of people killed in motor vehicle accidents.
The report attributes 600-1400 deaths to air pollution each year at present and with traffic expected to increase by 50% by 2030, that figure is likely to rise to almost 2,400 over the next 20 years.
Overcoming the problem of workplace sickies
(added 7th June 2007
According to recent figures from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) http://www.cbi.org.uk, sick leave costs UK businesses over £12 billion every year. Not surprisingly, therefore, employers are being urged to take action to reduce absence.
One of the most effective ways of addressing the issue is to improve job satisfaction and in particular, employee work-life balance by introducing Smarter Ways of Working like staggered or flexible hours, home based working and output based measurement and reward systems. Each of these methods has been shown to reduce stress levels, save travel costs and generally increase productivity As Aristotle observed more than 2000 years ago '"Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work" ...and reduces absence levels <by typically 15-20%>
National Lift Share Day 14th June
It's perhaps because a disappointing 6% only share their car on a daily basis that we now have the announcement of a national liftshare day.on Thursday 14th June.
For more information go to www.Nationalliftshareday.org
National Work from Home Day
(added 16th May 2007)
The Work Wise UK National Work from Home Day this year will be on Friday, May 18. Employers and staff, both public and private sector, are being encouraged to work from home on that day, and see for themselves the benefits home working can bring
.
Details of the proposed Hampshire no or green commute week will be posted on this website shortly (early June)
6 April 2007 Right to request to work flexibly
The right to request flexible working, which is currently available only for parents of children under 6, or under 18 if the child is disabled, was extended to carers of adults with effect from 6 April 2007 under the Work and Families Act.
A carer will be defined as an employee who is, or expects to be, caring for an adult who is married to, or the partner or civil partner of the employee; or is a near relative of the employee; or falls into neither of those categories, but lives at the same address as the employee.
The 'near relative' definition includes parents, parent-in-law, adult child, adopted adult child, siblings (including those who are in-laws), uncles, aunts or grandparents and step-relatives.
Minister Calls For Flexible Hours For All...(
added 19th March 2007)
A cabinet minister has called for flexible working rights to be extended so that they apply to all workers.
Making the rights much more widely available would help 29 million employees balance their home and work lives better, according to the Minister for Children, Young People and Families, Beverley Hughes.
This could also deliver a cut in claimant figures as flexible working opens up jobs to those who cannot work 9 to 5.
And of course, MATISSE style Teleworking (once or twice per week) or full time Teleworking, would immediately provide a much easier, less expensive and less technologically dependent way of reducing the region's transport congestion and CO2 levels (Editor)
Ministers still pursue Congestion Charging
(added 15th March 2007)
According to Colin Brown, Deputy Political Editor The Independent 13th February....
There are 33m cars in the UK, a rise of 7m in ten years. We suffer Europe's worst congestion, and traffic accounts for 20 per cent of our CO2 emissions. But will ministers back away from plans to clear the roads?
Environmental campaigners have urged ministers to stand firm over plans to introduce road pricing in the face of a protest petition signed by more than one million people.
Douglas Alexander, the Secretary of State for Transport, who is facing his first big test as a cabinet minister on the issue, was under pressure not to give way to the populist campaign backed by the motoring lobby and a number of national newspapers. He accused the protesters of spreading "myths" about road pricing.
What's Your View?
Is increased Teleworking an altogether more practical approach to the problems of congestion as well as making employment opportunities more inclusive
Email your views to development@hants.gov.uk inserting the word MATISSE in the subject line
Complete our survey and win a webcam!
(added 7th March 2007)
The MATISSE project and eHampshire needs YOUR help!
eHampshire with its partners (incl BT, HCC and Business Link) is now embarking upon the next stage of the MATISSE programme. To do this we need YOUR help in order to finalise the priorities and focus of our efforts across Hampshire in 2007/08. We specifically need YOUR views on ‘MATISSE style Teleworking’; whether one or two days home based Teleworking is an attractive alternative to future congestion charging and importantly your thoughts on home based flexible working.
The survey will take approximately 5 minutes to complete and you might just win that WEBCAM. Go to www.ehampshire.org and click on the 'Teleworking on-line survey' link <top left home page> The completed survey needs to be received by us no later than 31st March.
Correct Posture?
(added 14th December 2006
Having a safe and conducive home-working environment is a crucial element of successful Teleworking hence extensive guidance on assessing Health and Safety Risks is an important chapter within the MATISSE Teleworking implementation Toolkit.
We can now add to this general advice, some specific pointers on workstation posture courtesy of Roger Coles an independent Hampshire based H&S advisor. Read what Roger has to say and as they say, inwardly digest! Workstation Posture Advice
MATISSE Next Steps
(added 28th November 2006)
Perhaps this item should have been added to the 'FAQ' section as this is the most frequently asked post conference question.
In summary, Hampshire County Council will be considering their next moves in early 2007 as part of the Transforming Through Technology initiative recommendations. These will include specific proposals on Teleworking and Flexible working.
Meantime, SEEDA, the sponsors of the MATISSE pilot, are busy determining the focus of the next part of the MATISSE Teleworking initiative. Costed proposals are currently being developed and are expected to form part of the 2007/08 region-wide agenda. Meantime, the region's Broadband Partnerships - in Hampshire that's eHampshire - are also busy gearing up their initial campaigns as part of their future Business planning. Meantime, SEEDA themselves are planning wider implementation of Teleworking in their own organisation
As soon as specific plans are agreed, these will be announced via the website
eHampshire Conference Press Release
(Added 28th November 2006)
To view the Press release click on the link ehampshire_conference_hcc_press_release
Teleworking on the Island...
(update 10th November 2006)
Amongst the considerable media interest following the release of the MATISSE Report and Toolkit was this item produced by Solent TV on the Island (or Isle Of Wight if you are reading this from outside the County)
Click on the links at the foot of the next news item to download either the MATISSE Report or MATISSE Toolkit
MATISSE at the eHampshire Conference
(update 7th November 2006)
Around 180 delegates attended the eHampshire Conference at Winchester's Guildhall (Tuesday 7th November). The initial results from the MATISSE Teleworking pilot were at the hub of a varied and fast-moving agenda that embraced topics as diverse as "What's next in terms of the web?" to "Which skills are required to manage the future - often remote - workforce?". Question and Answer sessions and the use by speakers of instant-result electronic voting ensured a high degree of audience involvement in the conference proceedings.
In addition to hearing about the main findings from the MATISSE Pilot, delegates were given a 'Memory Stick' containing copies of each presentation and the initial version of the MATISSE report and Teleworking Implementation Toolkit.
To down load a copy of the MATISSE Teleworking Pilot trial report CLICK here matisse_report_v1
To down.load a copy of the MATISSE Teleworking implementation toolkit CLICK here matisse_toolkit.v1
Latest MATISSE Newsletter
(Update 17th October 2006)
The Autumn Newsletter is now available at
matisse_newsline.pdf
. Copies will also be available to delegates at the eHampshire Conference
eHampshire Conference Update (22nd Sep 2006)
Below is a sneak preview of the provisional programme for the e-Hampshire Conference to now be held at the Guildhall, Winchester on Tuesday 7th November. Further information and details of how to book are on the events pages of the MATISSE website
e-Hampshire Conference 7th November – The Guildhall, Winchester
‘Work Smart - Grow Smart’
Provisional Programme and speakers
9.00 Arrival/Refreshments/Registration + visit exhibition stands
9.30 Welcome David Livermore – Chair e-Hampshire Partnership
9.40 Keynote address – The role of ICT in Smart Growth Andrew Reynolds – IBM UK - Emerging Technologies Group
10.10 The e-Hampshire Launch - John Rees-Evans – Head of Economic Development Office Hampshire County Council
Aims and Objectives and achievements
E-Hampshire vision
Futures - Working Smart/Grow Smart
The enabling technologies
Secure E Commerce/e-tailing
YOUR say (including e-voting session)
10.30 -11.00 Tea/Coffee Break + visit exhibition stands
11.00 – Teleworking/Homeworking/Flexible Working –- The MATISSE Teleworking Trial - Tony Corbin - MatisseProject ManagerHampshireCounty Council
The MATISSE pilot (scope/purpose/key findings)
Case Studies interviews with local SMEs and HCC participants who share their MATISSE experiences
Key Findings – The MATISSE report inc 'The Implementation Checklist and Toolkit
The corporate perspective –Peter Knowles– Workstyle Business Development Director BT
11.45-12.05 Key Question Table Discussion, e-voting and Panel Q&A– MATISSE PILOT
12.05 -12.20 Work-Wise UK Initiative – David Lennan Non Exec Dir- Work Wise UK
12:20 – 12.35 Managing The Future Workforce - Peter Thomson
(Director of the ‘Future Work Forum’ at Henley MC
)
12.35-12.55 Key Question Table Discussion, e-voting and Panel Q&A - Teleworking Futures
12.55 -13.00 Chairman’s Closing Remarks
13.00 – 14.00 Buffet Lunch + visit exhibition stands
14.00 Close
Panel: Chair – Patricia Vaz (BT) Members: Conference Speakers + Professor Glenn Lyons (Univ. Of Southampton/UWE Futures Project – Intelligent Transport Systems and Teleworking, Barry Williams - Business Link Wessex; Peter Sinclair – SEEDA ; Jos Creese – Head of IT HCC
......................................................................
New HCC IT Services Help Desk Number (25th August 2006)
IMPORTANT MESSAGE From 1st September 2006, the HCC IT Services HELP Desk number will be changed to 01962-847000.
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MATISSE Newsline - Summer Edition (Issued 15th August 2006)
Issue 2 of the MATISSE Newsline will now be issued in both e-shot and hard copy form at the beginning of September. The issue will focus upon the early experiences of the pilot participants and was delayed in order to also provide detailed information on the up-coming e-Hampshire conference referenced above
The first issue of the MATISSE Newsline was issued to coincide with the E-Village feature at the recent Business South 2006 exhibition in Southampton and can be viewed by clicking on the link below.
MATISSE Newsline - Issue 1, Spring 2006 
320kb
Productive Output from Mid Pilot Workshop - (Issued 6th July 2006)
In almost tropical conditions, it was no surprise that delegates enjoyed working outside during the break out sessions of the Mid Pilot Workshop at Hillier's Arboretum Education centre. In a show of hands, around 80% of the 60 or so delegates said that they were more productive, less stressed and viewed the first 3 months of the pilot as a positive experience. Amongst the issues encountered were early IT kit set up problems, the need to plan ahead to ensure they had files and equipment to hand when working at home.
After a thought provoking talk from guest speaker David Dunbar head of the 60,000 strong Workstyle Teleworking initiative at MATISSE partner BT, delegates were asked to envisage how their business and its people might look in three to five years time.The event concluded with a local produce oriented buffet in the by now slightly cooler evening sunshine.
More information on the workshop and details of the main outputs is available from tony.corbin@hants.gov.uk
Working Smarting/Living Better (Issued 21st June 2006)
The prestigous surroundings of the Guildhall in Winchester will be the venue for the very first e-Hampshire Conference on Tuesday 7th November. Full details of the agenda and speakers will be announced in early July. The main MATISSE pilot trial findings will be a centre-piece of the Conference'
The conference will be very much a ‘practical’ one. It will focus on successful examples of broadband enabled applications that have achieved measurable business benefits.
Within this context, the key findings from the MATISSE pilot will be presented with delegates receiving a ‘best practice toolkit’ to guide their own in-company implementation of home, mobile or flexible working.
WORKING SMARTER IN HAMPSHIRE (Issued 21st May 2006)
OFFICIAL MATISSE PRESS RELEASE
Hampshire County Council has been awarded the contract to pilot a new project aimed at helping staff work more flexibly, helping to cut rush hour congestion and improve the environment.
The study, entitled MATISSE (Mobile And Teleworking Initiative for a Smarter South East), is sponsored by the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) and started earlier this month. SEEDA selected the County Council to lead the pilot because it is one of Hampshire's biggest employers and has an impressive track record for project management. A number of local SMEs (Small and Medium sized Enterprises) are also involved.
The full press release is available at www.hants.gov.uk/press/2006/PR2800.html
100 + MATISSE Pilot participants now signed up (Issued 10 April 2006)
A total of 108 participants (plus managers) have now signed up to the MATISSE Pilot Trial. The participants come from 15 SMEs (Small to Medium Enterprises) of various types and sizes across the County and from within Hampshire County Council itself.
All the participants have received detailed guidance and most have attended one of four briefing sessions the last of which was held on 5th April. It is expected that most participants will commence their six-month trial – involving at least two days per week working from home or locally – by Easter.
Questionnaires and Diaries now on ‘On-Line’ (Issued 7 April 2006)
The pre-pilot questionnaire and ‘in pilot’ diaries went live within the participants area of the MATISSE website (Password protected) on 15th March. Most participants seem set to meet the deadline for completion of the questionnaires (13th April. ). Their next task, after commencing the pilot proper, will be to agree which four week period during the six month trial they will maintain their ‘Feelings and Thoughts’, Travel and office Occupancy diaries.