Germany Announces Mandatory Work from Home Legislation
9th January 2019Germany’s Labor Ministry announced its new year legislation plans to make the option to work from home mandatory. The initiative will force German employers to either allow their employees to work from home or explain why it is not possible. A study by the Federal Ministry of Labor suggests that 40 percent of Germans would like to…
12 Best Cities For SmartWorking
10th December 2018Our 12 Days of Christmas Countdown begins with the 12 Best Cities for SmartWorking. 12. Basel, Switzerland Located on the Rhine River near the borders of France and Germany, Basel makes an ideal city for SmartWorkers as it has high wages and fast internet speeds. 11. Luxembourg City, Luxembourg You’ll find it hard to feel…
How To Work From Home – The Smart Way
25th September 2018Is ,’working from home’, the same as, ‘SmartWorking’? Yes..and No You can SmartWork, but it does not necessarily have to be from home. And you can work from home, but it doesn’t mean you’re not SmartWorking. So how does this work? When we talk about remote working, many people still conjure up the image of…
A Smart Solution To Ireland’s Rising Childcare Costs
20th September 2018The rising costs of childcare in Ireland has become a widespread cause for concern. The average weekly cost has risen steadily over the last ten years, currently standing at €155.60 per week (€622.40 per month). As a result, Ireland’s childcare costs are now one of the highest among the 36 OECD countries. Speaking about this…
The Anti-Mum Bias: Could SmartWorking Be The Solution?
13th September 2018We often hear from Mums – stay at home or working – sharing their challenges in trying to strike the balance between family life and work life. Many, unfortunately, experience an anti-mom bias – a concept that we would like to see end. We took a look at Refinery29‘s latest article featuring real Mum’s stories and found Sophia Petrov’s provoking…
Life As A SmartWorking ESL Teacher
9th September 2018Tell us about yourself. What’s your story? Well, it all began one day when I got out of the shower. I was drying my hair and noticed it was falling out (I was twenty-five at the time). That was the moment I realised stress is a real thing. After completing my Bachelor’s at the University…
Why SmartWorking Works For Contact Centres
31st August 2018Old News Two years ago, more than four hundred homeworkers (or Home Agents) and their employers took part in a survey conducted by the United Kingdom Contact Centre Forum. The results were overwhelmingly positive and clearly expressed the benefits of flexible working for both parties. The Results Employers: 58% now employ SmartWorkers. 69% said their…
Confessions of a SmartWorking Intern: Week 4
17th August 2018Well hello there! This week we’re back in action with a snapshot of a typical SmartWorking day. We often talk about how much we love the days we’re SmartWorking, but sometimes it can be hard to imagine unless you get a clear picture of what it’s really like. So, let us take you through the…
Some Unexpected Joys and Consequences of SmartWorking
13th August 2018The Unexpected Joys I’m well into my second year of “smart-working”. Prior to that I “worked from home,” but smart working sounds a lot more glamorous and less agoraphobic. There are lots of reasons to love being a smart worker. The first one I can think of is that I’m not a morning person, I…
Mumpreneurs Returning to Work – The Smart Way
16th July 2018Ireland has an abundance of skilled women, both stay at home and at work. We believe stay at home Mum’s could offer the perfect solution to tackle the nationwide skills shortage. “I have three children. I graduated with a BIS degree from university and climbed the career ladder working as a successful support technician before…