A new on-line service which will allow employers to access a pool of talent who wish to work part time, as well as team potential jobshares across a range of disciplines, is being launched by flexible work specialists Flexecutive on 7 November.
Flexecutiveís new on-line service, the latest development in the Companyís Part Time and Proud campaign, responds to a raft of new research which puts part-time employees at the heart of the most productive workforces in the UK. According to Mayor of London Ken Livingstone, research for the Greater London Authority has shown that if the proportion of women in part-time work in London was the same as the national average, Londonís economic output would be 1.4 billion greater, while a new study from Working Families makes a clear correlation between productivity, work-life balance and good management.
Flexecutiveís own research among HR professionals showed that 90% of respondents believe a flexible work policy improves employee retention, 81% believes it improves motivation and 62% believe it lowers stress levels - one of the biggest causes of workplace absenteeism. In spite of this nearly half (45%) of those questioned in the survey felt that part-time working damages womenísí chances of promotion, while 57% felt that in general, part-timers have fewer opportunities for promotion and nearly one third (29%) think that it is ëless acceptableí for men to work part-time.
Flexecutiveís Part Time Forum is launching with the support of BT, Centrica, Tesco and Prudential, as well as the DTIís Women and Work Commission and the Equal Opportunities Commission. Carol Savage, managing director, Flexecutive comments: ìOur mission is to establish this website as the online home for part-time working, targeted at workers who wish to retain their career and private life, and employers who wish to offer flexible working to experienced professionals with part-time working and job-sharing roles at middle to senior level.î
Flexecutiveís on-line service is focusing on part-time employees across all levels and disciplines to enrol and access jobs and potential jobshare partners in their area. The service will also provide best practice advice and support to both employers and employees on a range of flexible work issues,
Carol Savage continues ì Our on-line service is part of a long-term campaign to help employers get the best talent for the job, and help that talent to be proud of their flexible work choices. The reality is that until there are more visible role models of senior successful part-timers, part-time prejudice will get in the way of a more enlightened, productive way of working, and our campaign is focusing on finding and publicising those role models.î
New part-time forum enables a flexible future
Following four new pieces of research which demonstrate the value of employing and retaining part time employees in the workforce, a new service is launching which provides practical solutions to both employers and staff
