Flexible working most favoured perk, study says

Flexible working is the most favoured perk among employees in the UK, according to a study by business support and maintenance firm Direct 365.

While over a third (35%) of the study’s participants selected flexible hours as their top employee benefit, one in three (31%) also worried that the traditional office environment could be damaged if more of their colleagues worked remotely.

In June 2014, all employees in the UK were given the right to request flexible working from their employer after 26 weeks of employment, as the government attempted to encourage a more favourable work-life balance nationwide.

As this year’s Flexible Working Awareness Day approaches on 6^th May, employers are being encouraged to weigh up the pros and cons of flexible working before implementing such a policy.

By providing suitable working arrangements for those workers who may have difficulty working traditional office hours or live beyond a reasonable commuting distance, flexible working allows a business to hire those people it really wants, regardless of their location. It can also save money in terms of the amount of office space it needs to rent and maintain, along with the potential to rent out any spare desks not being used by employees working remotely. The rise of technology in how businesses communicate is a major component in this change.

Alex Boa, Director at specialist HR firm hfx, said: “By providing suitable working arrangements for those workers that have difficulty working traditional rigid hours, businesses are gaining access to a talented and very experienced pool of people. Technology has been an enabling force for much that has changed in recent years; work email and networks are now accessible from mobile devices, enabling people to work from any location. Harnessing technology means that flexible working can now be provided on a more formal basis, with visibility ensuring that employees work their contracted hours, and receive the credit for the work they do.”

However, Direct 365’s research also revealed that companies should be aware of the potential impact on staff morale of implementing such a policy, as Head of Digital, Phil Turner, elaborated: “It’s not uncommon for someone to be sat at their desk all on their own for an entire day because the rest of their team are either working from home or have been given permission to switch their hours. Technological advancements have made communication easy, but you really shouldn’t underestimate the importance of face-to-face contact. We’re in danger of losing good old-fashioned ‘watercooler talk’!”