A report by Vodafone UK concluded that flexible working hours are an attractive benefit to potential employees and have a larger influence on job satisfaction compared to financial remuneration. According to Vodafone, companies that offer flexible working hours as part of the employment package have an advantage over companies who stick to stringent 9 to5 working hours and thus are more likely to attract talented individual in the different fields.
Benefits of Flexible Working Hours for Employees
The Vodafone survey consisted of 1366 individuals spanning companies of varying size and position. It was reported that both senior managers and regular employees felt the same way about the advantages offered by flexible working hours. Some of the surveyed workers were already working remotely on some occasions and among them, over three quarters agreed that it improved their overall job satisfaction. Workers also agreed that flexible working hours improved their balance of work and life.
It was reported that around half of the managers surveyed stated that the inclusion of flexible working hours made the company a more attractive employment option to potential workers. An incredible 85% of company managers have the opinion that potential employers of today expect more flexible working hours from their employees compared to what has been traditionally offered in the past. More and more, flexible working hours are not considered to be a perk, but an expected part of the employment package.
Benefits of Flexible Working Hours for Businesses
Businesses in Britain as well as the rest of the globe need to understand how flexible working hours contribute to the attractiveness of a job post. No longer is employment primarily about remuneration but about job satisfaction too. More and more, balancing work and life is becoming an influential factor. Companies looking for advice on how to better meet the expectations of potential employees can visit the Anywhere Working Consortium, which offers online training in technologies that assist with the implementation of flexible working time (such as video conferencing and cloud servers) and gives alternatives to travelling to work. Businesses can undergo trial periods and assess for themselves the benefits of offering flexible working time.
Although flexible working hours have been offered as an alternative to the traditional 9 to 5 working day for some time, many still consider the physical office to be a space where the majority of work is done. However, it is time to reconsider this idea. Flexible working hours will be vital for the smooth operating of businesses in London this year if one considers the Olympic Games, relieving the City’s transport links during peak hours and allowing more local spectator participation.
About the Author: Penny Munroe is an avid writer in business related news from around the globe, from tips on finding the best office space for rent to digital marketing trends. She currently operates from the serviced offices Cardiff offer but is planning on relocating to a home office.