Flexible Working in Practice

There’s a workplace revolution brewing. Flexible working is no longer the preserve of parents, but an attainable goal for all teams that rewards employer with increased productivity and employee with better work-life balance. So why do so few companies currently engage with it? 

Recent research by Vodafone explored the reasons why some companies have not implemented a flexible working policy. Of those reporting that there was no such policy in place:

• 33% said they believed it would not suit the culture of their organisation
• 30% were concerned about friction between employees working flexibly and those who did not do so
• 22% believed employees would not work as hard if allowed to adopt flexible working patterns and technologies

But when you consider the following statistics from organisation with flexible working policies in place, it’s easy to see the benefits. 

• 83% saw an increase in productivity
• 61% had seen their company profits increase
• 58% said the policies had improved their organisation’s reputation 

You will, no doubt, have heard the rumours of a seemingly unattainable flexible working nirvana where time and location have little bearing on your ability to do your job. Influencers like Mother Pukka have led the campaign for flexible working for parents in the workplace. But it's no longer a movement for parents alone, everyone can benefit from the improved work-life balance that flexible working offers.

It is easy to see the benefits to employees - a work pattern that suits their individual productivity, reducing a commute means less stress and expense, more flexibility to balance other aspects of life. 

What has been less predictable is the benefits to businesses. Companies that have adopted flexible working are reporting a significant increase in productivity and employees taking greater ownership and accountability for their work. In terms of staff retention and recruiting good candidates flexible working is now considered high up in the benefits that a company can offer. 

At Deep Blue Sky, we consider ourselves to be a future thinking business that engages with emerging tech and we're always looking for ways to improve our business. So it makes sense to us that we take this opportunity to explore what flexible working can offer our company, our team and our clients. 

We will be rolling out a flexible working trial in early 2018 - we'll share our findings and keep you up to date every step of the way with any successes and pains and how it influences our business. Stay tuned…

In the meantime, we'd love to know if your company has a flexible working policy? And if it does what pitfalls, tips and advice can you share? Share your thoughts in the comments below.