Flexible Working, Part Time Business Opportunities, Working From Home - Business Ideas Club

SURVEY RESULTS SHOW THAT FLEXIBLE WORKING HAS TAKEN OFF

Survey results show that flexible working has taken off The number of workplaces offering staff the opportunity to work flexibly has almost doubled in the last six years, according to the authoritative Acas and DTI sponsored workplace employment relations survey (WERS).

The research identified that the proportion of employers offering flexible working had increased significantly, particularly those offering home working and term-time only working. The figures are:

* homeworking - up from 16 to 28 per cent
* term-time only working - up from 14 to 28 per cent
* flexitime - up from 19 to 26 per cent
* job sharing - up from 31 to 41 per cent
* switching from full-time to part-time working - up from 46 to 64 per cent.

Employees were also much more likely to be able to take leave to help them with their work-life balance with employers offering:

* parental leave - up from 38 to 73 per cent
* paid paternity leave - up from 48 to 92 per cent
* special paid leave in emergencies - up from 24 to 31 per cent

This increase in the availability of flexible working is reflected elsewhere in the survey, with managers showing more understanding of employees' responsibilities outside work. In 1998 84 per cent of managers believed that it was up to an individual employee to balance their work and family responsibilities. This has now reduced to around two-thirds (65 per cent).

5 July 2005
www.acas.org.uk