‘Olympic legacy’ is a phrase mentioned on a daily basis at present. But what effect will London 2012 have on businesses in the capital?
For starters, a meltdown of public transport according to Olympic Games organisers and Transport for London. There’ll be three million more journeys a day including one million more Tube passengers during the Olympics. Something has got to give.
Major companies in and around London have been asked by Olympic bosses to promote flexi-time or remote working from home. A number of the big banks including HSBC and Citigroup are planning to overhaul working practices.
There is even a suggestion that the Olympics could prompt many employers to reconsider working arrangements for employees. And not just for the 17 days of the Games.
ETS polled 30 HR professionals asking whether their organisations planned to change flexible working policies ahead of the Olympics. Whilst under 2 in 5 said they would definitely be changing practices, this scenario has raised important questions around cost saving and productivity.
With large organisations considering increasing their flexible working practices it appears the Olympics could herald a new era of flexible working.