The traditional nine-to-five office job carried out by secretarial, clerical and administrative staff is being replaced by flexible work arrangements.
Nearly two-thirds of companies allow employees to stagger their start and finishing times compared to 44 per cent five years ago and just 11 per cent 10 years ago, HR consultancy William M Mercer found.
And flexible working is popular among staff, with 64 per cent taking it up.
Job sharing too is on the up. Almost half of the 31 major employers in London and the South East surveyed allow staff in secretarial and administrative roles to job-share. This compares to one in four companies five years ago and just 6 per cent 10 years ago.
Teleworking, while less common, is more popular than it was, with one in 10 companies allowing staff to work from home for up to three days a week. In 1995 just 8 per cent allowed it.
“Companies are taking a much more flexible approach to employment,” said consultant Terrie Hughes.
“This has been prompted by a rise in competition to attract and retain the right people and a greater emphasis on productivity rather than hours of work.”
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