Businesses are playing catch-up when it comes to policing flexible working by employees, research suggests.
A survey, commissioned by IT company Citrix Systems, found that while it is commonplace for people to work away from the office, the majority of companies do not have the systems in place to enable effective flexible working.
The majority of those questioned did more than five hours work per week out of the office, with 19% working away from their desk for more than 20 hours a week.
However, 85% of respondents said their company made no attempt to monitor work done away from the office, and 62% of companies had no policy on home working.
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“Without a strategy in place to enable employees to access the information they need when they are not in the office, huge pressure is put on HR teams, and staff are not able to work efficiently,” said Lewis Gee, managing director of Citrix UK.
“Most people said they believe flexible working will increase in the next two years, but if British business does not keep up with the flexible working revolution, it is in danger of becoming a confused mess.”