BT Call Centre Home Working Trial At Thurso

28th April 2008

BT call centre workers are set to work from home in a trial which could create new jobs and revolutionise the way the offices are run, the telecoms giant has announced.

Around 15 volunteers at the centre in Thurso, Caithness, will operate online from their homes, using high speed broadband links in a practice known as "homeshoring".

Brendan Dick, director of BT Scotland, said: "The pilot could herald major changes in work practices for BT and the wider contact centre industry."

He continued: "Homeshoring is poised to become the next big trend in the industry and Scotland, as a fertile recruiting ground for contact centre operations, is well placed to create new jobs from it.

"A skilled and flexible workforce, low staff turnover and even the Scottish accent have been cited as factors in the sector's Scottish success story.

"Homeshoring will be an additional plus factor because the skill pool will not be confined to people who live within commuting distances of the contact centre or want to work traditional hours."