1 in 2 workers fear that working flexible will sideline their career
- Two thirds of workers want to work flexibilily, despite career concerns
- Three quarters of workers are unaware of their legal right to work flexibly, three years after the Government’s legislation came into effect
- Four out of five workers believe flexible working would improve quality time with children, their productivity and loyalty to their company
Almost two-thirds of UK employees want to work flexibly although almost one in two are worried that it will sideline their career, according to research from fast-growing UK ISP Eclipse Internet1. Companies risk alienating large parts of the workforce and losing skilled and valuable employees by not recognising this extensive desire to flexi-work. Working flexibly includes a vast range of work practises from flexi-time to equipping employees with the technology to work from home.
These research results give a clear indication that UK workers aspire to a flexible working environment but there is significant work to do before it is accepted as normal working practice. For instance, a quarter of workers regard flexible working as a taboo subject and fewer than half of those surveyed have any flexible working policy in their company. Only eight per cent believe that there are no restrictions to working flexibly.
The benefits of working flexibly were evident to the vast majority of those questioned - almost three-quarters believing that it would give them more quality family time, better productivity at work and increased company loyalty. Only 15 per cent thought that it is an option for ‘skiving off’. Although businesses may have reservations, flexi-working should benefit them significantly, driving increased staff productivity and retention.
Across the UK, 75 per cent of those making a request to flexi-work are women2 even though almost two-thirds of men are keen to work flexibly. While this is not surprising, the disparity between the desire to work flexibly and actual uptake is interesting given that four out of five workers polled believe it is equally important to both genders.
Legally, both men and women have rights regarding flexi-working. Government legislation, which came into effect in 2003, states that all parents with children under the age of six have the right to request to work flexibly. In agreement with their employer, these workers can organise irregular hours and change their work location to help them balance childcare with their career. Eclipse’s research shows that three years on, understanding is still extremely poor with only one in four people knowing what the
legislation means. 47 per cent of those surveyed thought, incorrectly, that the legislation was actually relevant to all workers, not just parents.
Barriers to flexi-working across the UK, besides office culture, are complex. However, one of the major reasons cited by both men and women surveyed is technology. Over half suggested that their companies aren’t willing to provide the technology they need to work flexibly, for instance, BlackBerrys, PDAs, laptops or broadband at home. After technology, women were mostly likely to consider that businesses being ‘stuck in the dark ages and averse to change’ (48 per cent) impacted the uptake of flexi-working, while men considered that it is due to companies not trusting their employees (52 per cent).
Mark Thomas, Sales Manager of UK ISP Eclipse Internet, commented: “We are seeing a marked difference between the number of people wanting to work flexibly and those who can. Although it is most important for those with children, to help them juggle their childcare and workload, flexi-working is gaining popularity rapidly across the board. With the benefits of increasing productivity, and in an active recruitment climate, there are many reasons why businesses should seriously consider equipping employees to work flexibly.”
1. Research conducted by Eclipse Internet and ICM in October 2006 with 500 workers across the UK
2. Second Flexible Working Employees Survey DTI April 2005 for workers with children under six
