Flexible workers take less leave and are more productive, survey claims

Workers who are offered the option of flexible working are benefiting UK business by taking less leave and working more productively, a new survey claims

The poll compared the productivity of 1,500 workers who set their own hours or working location against 500 who do not.

The flexible workers surveyed said they felt they worked effectively for more of a typical working day than those working a traditional "nine-to-five" job.

Three-quarters of these workers said they’d be reluctant to leave their current place of work if a new one didn’t allow the same flexibility.

“Flexible working has a huge number of benefits for employees and employers alike," said Olivia Hill, chief HR officer at AAT, which commissioned the study. “In this connected world, all many people need to work is a laptop and a stable internet connection - which can be found in many places other than the office environment.

“It seems employers are also becoming more likely to allow flexible hours as well as flexibility with location - assuming that as long as the job gets done, it doesn’t really matter when and where it happens. The most important thing is strong levels of productivity.”

The study also found one fifth of respondents enquired about workplace flexibility as soon as their first interview for the job and four in 10 respondents said the option of flexible working was offered company-wide, although 15 per cent said it applied only to them personally.

The study found that they were more likely to choose to set the hours they work than choose the location they work from, with just one in five able to opt for a different place of work.

The main reason the survey's respondents gave for wanting to work flexibly was to to balance their home and family life with workplace needs.

However, 15 per cent said they believe they are not as productive in a traditional working environment. Over 20 per cent said they are "much more productive" after moving to a flexible schedule.

A quarter of respondents said they work longer hours in their new "flexi-routine" than they did when they worked normal office hours. The flexible workers surveyed said they think they put in an extra 6.7 hours each week than they did when they were at their desks in the office.

Half of these workers also said they can never see themselves returning to a more traditional work routine, and three quarters said it’s a key perk at their current job.

However, a tenth of respondents worried their colleagues think of them as work-shy for not being on hand in the office regularly and 13 per cent had concerns they may be passed over for promotions or other work responsibilities, as they are out of sight and potentially out of mind.

One in five believed they had colleagues who are "envious" of the work-life balance they have managed to negotiate for themselves.

Olivia Hill added: “Its worrying that many flexible workers feel that their colleagues see them as work-shy, or feel that they may be passed over for promotions. Allowing flexible working helps organisations keep a diverse range of employees, because they are able to balance their work and other commitments in a way that works for them.

“Many employees, especially younger people, now prioritise having a good work-life balance when looking for a job, so organisations offering flexible working will have a better chance of attracting and retaining them. 'The UK works some of the longest hours compared to our European neighbours, however our productivity is lagging behind, flexible working results in not only happier but more productive employees.

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“The business case for flexible working really does add up, but there will need to be a cultural shift for it to be embraced and embedded more widely.”

Gill Myers is one of those who decided to start working flexibly. After having a baby, she returned to work as a lecturer at Tameside College in Greater Manchester on a 0.8 full-time equivalent (FTE) contract.

She then started doing bookkeeping and accountancy consulting outside her normal work hours in her free time. As her freelance work began to grow, Ms Myers was able to drop her hours to just over half of the full-time equivalent.

When her son started school, Ms Myers found that she could secure enough work for her accounting and book-keeping business to resign from the college.

Now self-employed, Ms Myers says she enjoys the freedom to choose her own hours and location where she works.

"“I’m self-employed so have total control over my hours and location," Ms Myers said. "I mainly work from home but travel to clients’ premises when required and agreed. I don’t feel that there are any downsides of working flexibly; I get to take my son to school every day so have contact with other parents in the playground.

"I work from 9am-3pm solidly and I am good at being focused - because if I don’t get everything done then I don’t get an opportunity to finish off until 8pm when he’s in bed. I use Slack and Skype to stay in daily contact with my biggest client so it’s like being in the office but just from home. I am much happier with my career progression now and feel that I have a flexible portfolio of work that I would never have had the opportunity to have if I’d have remained working the way I was previously.”

SWNS