It is not surprising that public sector employers are supporting home working. Not only do they realise the benefits for staff recruitment and retention, they also recognise the potential for cutting bottom line costs ? clearly a priority under the Lyons Review and Gershon Report. Yet problems with implementation remain.

A Senior Civil Servant and a Local Government Officer have found that Henley Offices has provided the best solution. The personal Henley Office built in their garden in a single day has increased their productivity as employees, given them the flexible work/life balance they sought, and given their employers opportunities to make efficiency savings in central office costs.

Background: Both Tony Redpath and his wife Katy Willison work in the public sector in central London but live in the suburbs near Wimbledon. Katy is a Senior Civil Servant at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, while Tony is a Senior Local Government Officer for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. They have two children, a daughter aged four and a young son of 10 months.

What Issues Did they Face? It was the arrival of the second child which put a squeeze on the household space, and made both Tony and Katy decide that something had to change. As Tony says, they are ?fussy? about the types of houses they like, and really enjoy both their existing home and the area it is in. Before their son was born they had a spare room in the house which they used as an office. However with two children they wanted to turn that space over to the kids.

After going to view bigger houses on sale, and analysing not only the costs but the aggravation and stress of moving, Tony and Katy decided that the best option was to upgrade their existing house by adding a personal office in the garden. They also felt that the costs of buying a personal office could be offset by the increased asset value it would give their property.

Why Did Tony and Katy Redpath Choose Henley Offices? The distinctive, traditional look of the Henley Office made it their first and only choice from the personal offices on the market. ?A Henley Office was the only one we found that didn?t look like a glorified garden shed or a summer house?, says Tony. Both he and his wife felt that the styling of Henley Offices would suit their garden the best. Only once they had fallen for the looks of the Henley did they check out all its other benefits, such as its high security, excellent insulation, great build quality and fast installation service which gave them efficient completion within just one day.

How has Henley Offices Changed Their Lives? Above all the Henley Office has proved itself to be a much better working environment than being in the house, and even than their employers? main offices. Not only does it avoid background noise from the children and other domestic distractions, it also feels much more conducive to work. ?Before I had a Henley Office I didn?t seek out opportunities to work at home, as I felt I was less productive away from the main office,? says Tony. However he continues: ?Now I find that working at home in my Henley Office is actually much more productive, especially where I have to get something done which needs constant application.?

Both the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and the Central Office of the Deputy Prime Minister have policies to support the growth of flexible working, and will even provide equipment from computers to telephone lines for people who choose to work from home. Both appear to have recognised the advantages of this for staff recruitment and retention, and are responding to employees who are getting more demanding about finding the work/life balance which suits their other commitments as well.

The public sector also recognises that flexible working can contribute to future efficiency gains. As more people take up the opportunity to spend a day or more every week working from home, central office costs can be reduced and space rationalised. This is particularly important for the public sector at a time dominated by both the Lyons Review and the Gershon Report. With the focus on how the public sector can gain from commercial best practice and continually drive down costs, Henley Offices is already contributing innovative ideas about potential ways forward for both Central and Local Government.

Conclusion Tony Redpath, Senior Local Government Officer, Kensington and Chelsea, comments:
? I am delighted that public sector employers are now so supportive of people who want to improve their work/life balance and spend more time working from home. However, particularly as a father of two young children, I found it very distracting when I was trying to work from the room we set up as an office at our house.?

?Now I have a Henley Office I feel that my productivity has significantly increased. These days if I have a project to complete I actually prefer to work from my Henley Office than from my employer?s premises, as I get much more done from an environment that is so conducive to concentration. All this, and it looks great in the garden as well.?

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