Today marks the start of Work Wise Week, which aims to encourage smarter working practices to the benefit of business, employees and the country as a whole.

Speaking at the launch today Sir Digby Jones, UK skills envoy and former director general of the CBI, said: “The challenges are not only in terms of selling goods and services, or innovation, but also in the labour market. Recruiting and retaining staff with the right skills will become increasingly difficult over the coming decade, as the labour market becomes more mobile internationally, and the drain to these emerging economies grow.

“The impact of the wider adoption of new smarter working practices will be profound, as some businesses have already discovered. Not only will there be improvements in productivity and competitiveness but also in the well being of staff which in turn impacts positively upon employee relations. This is not about working harder but more cleverly.”

Work Wise Week is organised by Work Wise UK, a not-for-profit initiative to promote smarter working practices such as flexible working, including condensed hours and nine-day fortnights, remote and mobile working, and working from home. It is supported by organisations including the CBI, TUC, British Chambers of Commerce, BT and Transport for London.