The digital age has allowed people to connect at any time and from anywhere. It’s easy for companies to offer flexibility and the ability for their employees to do their work at a time and place that fits around their life.
Flexible working comes in many forms; it could be anything from a full time job with flexible working hours, a job with the possibility to work from home, a part time job or a job share.
Before the government changed legislation in 2014, only carers or people looking after children were eligible to apply for flexible work contracts. Now all employees in the UK have the right to apply after twenty-six weeks of employment.
According to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (DBIS), “family friendly policies and economic growth can go hand in hand. Flexible working really can help employers boost productivity and profits”.
Working from home or flexibly in the office, is doable in our modern world with technology making it easier to stay connected. Research shows that organisations that adopt flexible employment policies increased productivity, improved employee well-being, talent attraction and retention, and reduction in accommodation costs (People Management, 2016)
Allowing your employees some form of flexibility in their job could result in a more productive workforce as they can focus on their work, leaving their personal life aside.
Adopting flexible working can also lead to happier, more dedicated employees – they have more responsibility to the company and, therefore, feel duty to perform well when working.
Flexible working = reduced costs for your business
By implementing aspects of flexible working such as reduced office hours, remote working and hot desking, less money is needed for office rental and infrastructure costs.
Encouraging collaboration in the workplace by having shared spaces is also a new way of working that reduces the need for individual desk space. There are gains to be made from changing the office space from having rows of individual desks to a more social, collaborative environment.
Offering flexible working can help you recruit and retain top talent
Employers who offer flexible roles are at an advantage when recruiting talent. More and more companies are beginning to realise that offering flexible working is part of achieving employee commitment and loyalty.
The millennial generation (those aged 18 to 35) not only want, but expect, flexibility in terms of where and how they work. As you try to attract and retain the best and brightest employees for your small business, it is important that you understand the advantages flexible working can bring. Employee turnover is costly, and voluntary turnover is the highest among millennials.
Flexible working can help you retain and attract young parents