Employers should be given the option to create 'trial periods' in order to see if flexible work arrangements are right for them.
That's according to a report by the Flexible Working Commission, cited by hrmagazine.co.uk, which suggests that all employees should be given the right to request flexible working and that any regulation regarding the practice must be 'clear and concise' as possible.
Commission chair David Frost believes an increasing number of firms are open to the idea of flexible working in an age where the health of an employee's work/life balance is constantly in question.
He stated, cited by personneltoday.com: "Those companies that weathered the downturn best and are returning to growth the quickest are the ones where management and workers come together to develop new ways of operating."
Currently, there is no 'universal right' for any employee to work flexibly, but firms have a duty to 'seriously consider' any application to work flexibly from staff who have a caring responsibility.
However, flexible working can have a positive effect on an employee's work/life balance, which may help to boost productivity and morale - something for leaders struggling running a family business to consider.
Jon Goodchild, head of HR at nuclear tech firm Nuvia, would let employees work flexibly regardless of whether any rule of implemented: "If the right to request didn't exist, we'd be just as flexible."