Flexible working is a notion that is very much in vogue at the moment, it can even be a deal breaker when people consider accepting a job. Employers do though worry that ‘working from home’ is not conducive to productivity and is instead more beneficial for completing housework, staying in bed and brunch dates.
A new survey of 8,000 global employees and employers conducted by Vodafone has found that three quarters of companies worldwide have adopted flexible working policies and the impact that this has had on productivity at these firms is interesting.
Surprisingly, 61 percent of those polled said flexible working increased their company’s profits rather than reduced them. A further 83 per cent reported that productivity was boosted by flexible hours rather than reduced by them.
It had been assumed by some that the UK’s nosediving productivity had in part been due to the rise of remote working and the groundwork it lays for potential laziness, however these figures suggest that more flexible working may in fact improve the UK’s productivity rather than reduce it.
However, flexible working and its appeal does appear to be something of a generational matter. The survey found that respondents in their mid-twenties were twice as positive towards flexible working than those over 55.
The survey also indicated that flexible working is become something of a sacred cow for employers with 58 percent of those polled saying that they believed flexible policies improved their firm’s reputation.
Robert joined the HRreview editorial team in October 2015. After graduating from the University of Salford in 2009 with a BA in Politics, Robert has spent several years working in print and online journalism in Manchester and London. In the past he has been part of editorial teams at Flux Magazine, Mondo*Arc Magazine and The Marine Professional.