The start of 2013 brings more misery to train travellers with rail fares for season ticket holders increasing by an average of 4.2%. Is this the year that employees say enough is enough?
Frances O’Grady, general secretary of the TUC and chairwoman of Action for Rail, said: “At a time when real wages are falling and household budgets are being squeezed, rail travellers are being forced to endure yet another year of inflation-busting fare increases.
The TUC has claimed average train fares have risen nearly three times faster than average incomes since 2008.
Many employees will feel that they have no choice but to change jobs with this continued pressure on their earnings.
The loss of seasoned employees on small to medium businesses (SMBs) may potentially have significant impact. A recent study from the Center for American Progress showed that for all jobs earning less than $50,000 per year the average cost of replacing an employee amounts to 20 percent of the person’s annual salary.
Can UK SMB’s afford to lose staff because of inflexible working practices? Is 2013 the year when SMBs review their IT strategy with a view to allowing more of their staff to work from home by utilising cloud technologies?
Not only are employers likely to see an increase in productivity from staff working remotely they will also achieve additional benefits. Decision makers will have a greater freedom of choice in how the services they require are obtained, cloud technologies help to reduce IT costs, they help organisations be more efficient and businesses can pay as they go – many SMBs are cash-strapped, and having a heavy capital outlay for IT infrastructure can cripple investment elsewhere
According to forbes.com 74% of small-medium businesses expect to use cloud services next year. They are also mobilizing their workforce. This can increase remote worker productivity by 72%.
By opting for something in “the cloud” businesses can make their data available to many users wherever they are, at work, on the go or even at home.
Cloud solutions such as SAP’s Business ByDesign allow employers to provide employees with up-to-the minute information wherever they are working. And with the mobile application for smart phones such as iPhone and Blackberry information is available even when they are on the move.
SMBs really should consider taking the plunge and implementing cost-effective, efficient cloud solutions to aid their growth plans and to ensure staff retention.
About the author…
Caroline Atkinson is Director of Business Development at In Cloud Solutions. For more information on how SAP ByDesign can help your business, please visit https://www.incloudsolutions.co.uk/
Caroline Atkinson
Mobile: +44 (0)7923 495647
Test