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Are You Missing Out on Flexible Working Benefits?
Despite the common misconceptions, flexible
working can actually save you money and
increase productivity; yet a surprising
number of small businesses are reluctant to
move any work outside the office.
New research from WebEx has revealed that
59% of men and 70% of women are not given
the option to work from home. In addition,
47% of working mothers say their boss has a
'rigid' attitude to working hours, and even
of those who are given flexible options; 12%
say they get no support from their boss.
You are legally obliged to seriously
consider any request for flexible working
from a working parent, but only 59% of
working parents are even aware of this
right.
The reluctance to embrace flexible working
and working from home seems unusual when you
look at the benefits it can offer you as an
employer:
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Less need for costly office space.
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Working from home is shown to actually
increase the productivity of employees.
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Employees have more time with their
families, which in turn should make them
happier with (and more dedicated to)
their job.
The survey highlights that although most
businesses use virtual communications
technologies like email, instant messaging,
mobile phones and online workspaces; many
still seem to cling to the idea of the
business being solely in an office.
Bert van der Zwan, vice president, WebEx
EMEA comments, “UK bosses need to snap out
of the mindset that flexible working is
unproductive. Adopting a less rigid
approach and embracing ‘virtual’ technology
not only leads to increased productivity,
but also boosts morale in workers. Giving
staff a choice of where and when they work
allows them to spend more time with their
families creating a healthier work/life
balance.”
Some companies (including WebEx) now offer
‘virtual offices’ that allow businesses to
all communicate together even if employees
are not based in the same location; thus
making flexible working easier and more
productive.
Find out more about offering Flexible
Working in our article here.
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