South West IoD members say flexible working is the way forward

A major new report from the Institute of Directors (IoD) and Unum, Flexible Working ñ the new world of work, reveals evidence of overwhelming support for flexible working practices amongst UK companies.

In a survey of 500 business leaders 86 per cent say their organisation operates flexible working practices and 93 per cent say they would operate flexible working even if there was no legislative requirement.

The findings have been echoed by IoD members in the South West.

Kirsten Hemingway, a committee member of the IoD Bristol branch, runs a membership website for flexible workers and employers seeking their skills, called www.lifeworklife.co.uk

ìThe site has grown quickly, illustrating the demand,î says Kirsten. ìThe benefits are enormous. For example if you are working globally, flexible working means you can stay ëopení for longer. You save money on office space if they work from home and that means you cut down on your carbon footprint.î

Kirsten recommends that employers address three key issues before taking the plunge with flexible working:

ï Trust ñ put in place systems for monitoring your employeeís performance or give them an output based contract.
ï Isolation ñ set up chatrooms or forums, and never underestimate the importance of regular meetings, both professional and social.
ï Envy ñ everyone should be offered flexible working, although not all will take it up
ï . Also ensure that people who are in the office donít get unfairly promoted above remote workers.

The IoD report found that one in two IoD members discovered a noticeable impact on the bottom-line from the use of flexible working. Other positives were noted in productivity, profitability, customer service, recruitment, retention, absenteeism, overhead costs, morale, team working and knowledge sharing.

The main drivers of flexible working practices were found to be recruitment, retention and supporting business needs. Interestingly, the weakest driver of flexible working was legislative compliance, implying that the business community doesnít need to be told to implement flexible working ñ it is already ahead of the legislative curve.

The IoD and Unum survey also considered the Governmentís proposed extension of the right to request flexible working to parents of older children. Two-thirds of business leaders said that any extension would have no significant impact on their organisation. However, the dangers of overly prescriptive legislation were apparent; 26 per cent of business leaders said the proposed extension would adversely impact their organisation.

The survey also examined the barriers to implementing flexible working. Operational or line management issues together with a fear of fragmentation, were cited as the most significant barriers.

Commenting on the report findings, Miles Templeman, Director General of the IoD said:

ìIn terms of both time and location, flexible working practices are almost certain to expand considerably over the coming years. What business doesnít need is the heavy hand of government, when, as this survey shows, the business case is far more compelling and persuasive than regulation. The world of work will be revolutionised and maybe sooner than we think.î

Susan Ring, Chief Executive Officer of Unum ñ the UKís leading disability insurer ñ added: ìThese findings echo our experience at Unum, in that flexible working has to become part of the company culture in order to work really well. So in principle, as long as the customer is unaffected and the job gets done, then we will consider most requests favourably. Overall, we have improved staff loyalty, higher productivity and flexible working has enhanced our reputation with customers too.î