Norman Baker, the government's Transport Minister who pops up regularly on issues to do with homeworking, appeared at the launch of Anywhere Working, a consortium seeking to promote remote working by offering advice and online training. The consortium, which is business-backed but supported also by the TUC, launched itself in November last year and promises a number of case studies from which organisations can learn from the experience of others - including BT, which is a major employer of Prospect members - as well as tips and tricks on working smarter, more healthily and more productively. Vodafone - in which we can also find Prospect members - is one of the consortium's direct backers.

The Department for Transport is a supporter of the initiative - as Baker said at the launch, transport is the fastest growing source of carbon emissions so cutting down on working journeys has a key role to play in meeting carbon reduction targets. Likewise Transport for London, which has a key interest in cutting journeys into the capital during July/August, and August/September, this year...

Other advocates of homeworking can find plenty of others and it's welcome that the TUC is also on board with the initiative. Apart from the organisational benefits - perhaps a natural part of the site's resource - the initiative promises a perspective on how we balance our work and our life, and a particular focus on the latter.

The Working Anywhere initiative is still young but looks set to be a useful resource for those seeking to build cases for their own homeworking arrangements; or, more simply, to understand a little more about what homeworking might mean for them in practice.

Anywhere Working promises an Anywhere Working Week commencing 27 February, so that's one for the diary!

Posted: 17 January 2012