Benefits of flexible working

Business impact of flexible working

Introducing a flexible working policy can benefit everyone in your business - employers, employees and their families. Many employers believe that it makes good business sense and brings the following improvements:

• Greater cost-effectiveness and efficiency, such as savings on overheads when employees work from home or less downtime for machinery when 24-hour shifts are worked.
• Ability to attract a higher level of skills because the business is able to attract and retain a skilled and more diverse workforce. Also, recruitment costs are reduced.
• More job satisfaction and better staff morale. Almost half of employers offering flexible working opportunities report improvements in productivity, absenteeism and recruitment.
• Greater continuity as staff, who might otherwise have left, are offered hours they can manage. Many employers find that a better work-life balance has a positive impact on staff retention, and on employee relations, motivation and commitment.
• Increased customer satisfaction and loyalty as a result of the above.
• Improved competitiveness, such as being able to react to changing market conditions more effectively. Also, 39 per cent of workplaces with four or more flexible practices and leave arrangements have reported a better financial performance than that of similar workplaces in the same industry.

Impact on your employees

The main gain for your employees from flexible working arrangements is the increased opportunity to fit other commitments and activities in with work, and make better use of their free time. This can be particularly helpful for people caring for children or other dependants, but others may find flexible working helpful too. They may feel more in control of their workloads, and manage a better balance between life and work. Employees will avoid the stress of commuting at peak times if their start and finish times are staggered or if they work from home, and many employers find that introducing flexible working arrangements reduces their sickness levels.

Impact on the customer

Flexible working hours could help your customers in many ways. You could find you are able to offer longer opening times, more experienced staff and a better overall service.

Subjects covered in this guide

• Introduction
• Types of flexible working
• Business impact of flexible working
• Introduce flexible working in your business
• The law on flexible working
• Here's how flexible working has benefited employees and our business

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