Business owners need to make sure their flexible working policies are open to all colleagues in order to fend off accusations of favouring a particular segment of their workforce.
That's according to a new survey by YouGov for Croner, which suggests that out of 1,175 working adults, over a quarter aged 45 - 54 believe that their employers put colleagues with children or families first; with 18 per cent agreeing and nine per cent strongly agreeing.
However, this means that 73 per cent of this age group disagree with the notion, highlighting that the vast majority of flexible working options are open to all employees seeking to enjoy a healthier work/life balance, reports hrmagazine.co.uk.
For those struggling running a family business, employing flexible working options can help with productivity, employee relations and more. That's according to Carol Smith, senior employment consultant at Croner.
She called on businesses to employ flexible working practices in spite of the government changing its mind on universal flexible working laws, stating: "In spite of the absence of extended flexible working legislation, Croner recommends that employers should have flexible working policies that do not disadvantage other groups within their workforce.
"This will not only help to avoid possible workplace conflict but improve employee relations, help with recruitment and retaining staff and almost certainly improve productivity," she added, cited by telegraph.co.uk.