Almost two-thirds of UK employees would prefer to work flexibly but almost half are concerned that flexible working will have a negative impact on their careers, research has revealed.
Three quarters of UK employees are also unaware of their legal right to work flexibly, either from home or during flexible hours, three years after the government introduced the right to request it.
The survey of 500 workers by communications firm Eclipse Internet indicated that most employees (80%) believe flexible working would improve their productivity and loyalty to their employer.
Almost three quarters of respondents also said flexible working would improve the time they spent with their families and only 15% regarded it as an opportunity for “skiving off.”
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Mark Thomas, sales manager at Eclipse Internet, said: “We are seeing a marked difference between the number of people wanting to work flexibly and those who can. Although it is most important for those with children, to help them juggle their childcare and workload, flexi-working is gaining popularity rapidly across the board.”
“With the benefits of increasing productivity, and in an active recruitment climate, there are many reasons why businesses should seriously consider equipping employees to work flexibly.”
