First published on Friday, Apr 30, 2021
Last updated on Thursday, Jul 18, 2019
Flexible working has become more popular over the last few years. And it’s not hard to see why the idea appeals to staff.
No more 6am alarms, no more long commutes into work, and no more competition with colleagues to see who can stay at work the longest. But what’s in it for employers?
Here are four reasons why you should consider flexible working for your business.
- Boost employee productivity
Just because your employees are in work doesn’t mean they’re hard at work. After all, not everyone does their best stuff during a standard 9am to 5pm working day.
Some people get their brightest ideas at 3am in the morning, while others do some of their best work at night. And research shows that your business benefits from giving staff this flexibility.
In a recent study, 89% of workers said that flexible working motivates them to be more productive.
- Improve work-life balance
Your staff have a life outside of work. So when you give them the flexibility to choose their starting times, they can fit their work around their home life.
For example, parents can start later to take their kids to school in the morning, while others can leave early to check in on an elderly relative.
By letting your employees choose when to work, they have a better work-life balance and are less distracted at work.
- Attract the best talent
Salary is always going to be important when it comes to attracting new recruits. But it’s easy for other employers to match or even improve the wages that you offer.
So you need to give better employee perks. And according to a recent study, flexible working is what most workers want.
The study found that 92% of millennials prefer working flexibly, and 88% of workers aged between 35 and 54 wish they could work this way too.
- Reduce staff absence
Staff who have more flexibility to manage their personal lives, tend to feel less stressed at work and take fewer sick days.
And with staff absence costing £522 per employee per year, you could save thousands by adopting a flexible working policy.
Not only that, but happier employees are more likely to stick around, which means you could keep your best people for longer.