| Flexible working has long been an uncomfortable | | | | employee working from home may be far more |
| subject for employers. It’s certainly easier | | | | productive when they can start work earlier, take |
| when all your employees work 9 to 5 – you | | | | a break watching the news at lunchtime and finish |
| only have to open the office during those hours, | | | | work later. They can use their time as they see |
| clients know when and where they can find you, | | | | fit and not just fill a certain number of hours at a |
| you work the same hours as everyone else and | | | | desk. If they see a hot lead they can follow it, |
| so on. In the past flexible working was only really | | | | and if they feel their time would be better spent |
| needed by people who had commitments outside | | | | self-training they can do this too. |
| work – who had to leave work early to pick | | | | This sort of working needs a lot of trust from |
| up children from school for example. Unfortunately | | | | the employer. You have to trust employees to be |
| and somewhat unfairly, requests for flexible | | | | productive when working out of the office, and |
| working can often be seen as a harbinger of a | | | | not just using the time as an extra day off. If |
| less committed employee. How do employers | | | | you choose to go down this route however there |
| know that you’re working when it’s | | | | are lots of software solutions that make work |
| outside normal hours and they aren’t there? | | | | and productivity accountable. You can make your |
| What if the employee requests to change their | | | | business results-focussed and not just measure |
| hours quite often and it causes difficulty for other | | | | time spent on particular tasks. If you manufacture |
| people who have to cover? What if lots of | | | | plastic panels for example your staff will have to |
| overtime is needed but the employer knows they | | | | work in the warehouse, but your sales force |
| can’t call on one particular employee to help? | | | | could work from home, cut down on their travel |
| The advent of modern technology means that all | | | | time and arrange meetings and follow-ups when |
| these old worries about flexible working can to a | | | | they want to. |
| large extent be laid aside. Mobile phones mean | | | | Flexible working can also be beneficial to the |
| that people are in reach wherever they are – | | | | employer. If no-one works from the office, you |
| laptops mean you can work on the move, and | | | | don’t have to rent any office space. This |
| you can share your calendar and other | | | | means lower overheads so fewer outgoings for |
| information with colleagues from anywhere in the | | | | your business. Studies have shown that |
| world thanks to the internet. Employees on | | | | employees who are given the choice to work out |
| flexible hours no longer go out of the loop when | | | | of the office are more committed to the |
| they’re out of the office, and flexible working | | | | company – there’s a better work/life |
| isn’t about working less. | | | | balance and employees feel that they are trusted |
| Imagine an employee who has an hour long | | | | and can be more productive. Some staff even |
| commute to work every day. They arrive tired | | | | welcome the opportunity to work fewer hours if |
| and annoyed from sitting in traffic, and the office | | | | this is what you want to offer – good for any |
| environment is sometimes stifling. This same | | | | business during the credit crunch. |