The benefits of flexible working for businesses and individuals

According to the CIPD CIPD, flexible working can have both direct and indirect business benefits. Direct business benefits include savings on office space, a better match between business resources and demand - for example, serving customers on a 24/7 basis – and a more efficient use of technology.

Indirect business benefits can come through improved employee job satisfaction and wellbeing. Research shows that flexible workers have a higher level of job satisfaction and commitment and are likely to put in more effort than those who do not work flexibly.

Flexible working can make working life a lot easier for those with caring responsibilities – namely pregnant mothers, parents, and carers.

In 2019, a YouGov poll commissioned by Acas found that balancing work and home life was the most important thing to respondents for the year ahead.
Post-pandemic, the importance that people place on a work-life balance has only increased. In a recent Randstad survey, 65% of respondents put work-life balance as top of their priority list when seeking a new employer, even putting it above salary.

Flexible working has long been recognised as an effective way of helping employees achieve a work-life balance. Allowing them to work how, where, and when best suits them can have a positive impact on their job satisfaction and productivity.

Formal flexible work arrangements are common, especially flexitime, reduced hours and working from home. Informal flexibility is also common, with two-thirds of employees in a CIPD survey finding it easy to take an hour or two off during working hours to take care of personal or family matters.

Having these measures in place can help with caring responsibilities and increasing leisure time. CIPD research shows that flexible working is effective at delivering this, contributing substantially to people’s quality of life. They also found that many workers see a benefit in their careers.

Flexible working allows employees to manage disability and long-term health conditions. From those with mobility issues being able to work from home to those with conditions that affect their energy levels, being able to be flexible with their hours can help support the careers of those with additional needs.

However, be aware that as an employer you are under a separate duty to supply reasonable adjustments for your disabled employees. So, if you receive flexible working requests from disabled employees, you need to be aware that you are already obliged as an employer to facilitate suitable adjustments for them. You could leave yourself exposed to constructive dismissal claims if you don’t tread carefully.

Flexible working can make working life a lot easier for those with caring responsibilities – namely pregnant mothers, parents, and carers.

The benefits for expectant or new mothers are well-known. Flexible working can help them to keep working for longer and get back to work more quickly – or potentially never stop working at all. Organisations such as Working Forward aim to raise awareness of the benefits of flexible working for pregnant women and new mothers, encouraging employers to be open and transparent about their flexible working options and to promote these during recruitment.

Their research found that over two-thirds of mothers (68%) made a request for at least one type of flexible working practice, with most being approved. However, over a third of the women who had their requests approved didn’t request the flexibility they wanted because they thought it would be viewed negatively or wouldn’t be approved, while over half said it led to negative consequences.

Making sure those who have their flexible working requests approved are treated fairly and aren’t overlooked for any growth opportunities is important. Doing so will help you avoid costly employment tribunals later down the line rising from constructive dismissal or discrimination claims.

The ability to work from home through flexible working can also help these groups. With the growth in homeworking during and after the pandemic, it’s positive that nearly three-quarters of organisations are providing new or improved support for people working from home - although less than half are providing new or better support for employees with caring responsibilities, according to a recent survey

Having a flexible working policy in place can help carers feel that they are able to access support in the form of flexibility around their hours and workdays, allowing them to better balance their work and caring responsibilities.

There are 3.5 million women over 50 women over 50 in the workplace in the UK, and the average age a woman starts her menopause is 51. For every ten women experiencing menopausal symptoms, six say it has a negative impact on their work, with 49% of the menopausal workforce considering taking early retirement.

To help keep their menopausal employees in the workplace, employers could introduce a flexible working policy and look to try and approve where possible the flexible working requests of this group. Small changes to their working lives could make a big difference in helping them to manage their symptoms and continue with their career.

Over the last few years, the CIPD and Simply Health have found that mental health is the most common focus of wellbeing activity. This year, substantially more organisations are focusing on this area to a large extent (57%, up from 41% in 2020).

Research has shown that flexible working can reduce absence rates and as well as supporting mental health and stress. Allowing your people to find a working structure and pattern that suits them and helps them to feel in control of their responsibilities can help to boost productivity and reduce presenteeism and absenteeism.