Flexible working could bring many positives to a business, claims survey

Reducing the need for office space and increasing staff productivity could be two of the positives achieved through the implementation of flexible working, reports hrmagazine.co.uk.

That's according to nine out of 10 executives in the professional services industry taking part in a survey carried by communications firm BT. Furthermore, over half said they believe improved ways of working and better collaboration technology could boost staff productivity by 20 per cent or more.

The survey, titled 'Powering up Britain's professional workforce', seems to provide food for thought for CEOs struggling running a family business, as flexible working patterns could boost business morale overall.

On the other hand, 50 per cent of respondents said cost was a barrier to new ways of working while 49 per cent said their senior managers did 'not see a business case' for the practice.

Emer Timmons, president of BT Global Services, commented on the figures: "Old-fashioned attitudes such as spending time in an office to boost the chances of promotion mean many organisations are holding back progress and missing out on a potential increase in staff productivity."

Senior economist John Glen believes the business case for flexible working is actually very clear: "It enhances productivity and drives value to the bottom line. Employers need to be looking at how they get more productivity and asking what is the ROI of every metre of space I am using?"