Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Flexible workingRecruitment & retention

Formal flexible working requests gaining popularity

by Nadia Willliams 7 Jul 2009
by Nadia Willliams 7 Jul 2009

Formal flexible working requests are becoming commonplace and the majority are being granted, according to research by Personnel Today‘s sister publication IRS Employment Review.

The survey of 111 employers – covering 1,454 flexible working requests made at 80 organisations, with a combined workforce of around 72,139 staff – showed that at least one request was made in the past 12 months at 72% of the organisations surveyed. And more than three-quarters of flexible working requests were granted at 75% of organisations.

Thirteen per cent of employers granted less than half of all flexible working requests, while 4% did not agree to any.

The survey also found that three-quarters of the responding organisations had a written policy on flexible working, while 5% had an informal, verbal one. Eight organisations (7%) said they were currently developing a policy, while six (5%) planned to do so within the next 12 months.

Just 8% had no flexible working policy at all, and no plans to create one.

Smaller employers with fewer than 250 employees are more likely to grant every flexible working request, with 64% reporting to have done so last year. In comparison, 40% of large organisations (250-999 employees) and 14% of very large organisations (more than 1,000 staff) granted all flexible working requests made over the past 12 months.

The findings also showed that manufacturers and other private sector companies are more likely to grant all flexible working requests than public sector companies.

The two most common factors influencing the decision to refuse flexible working requests were the pressures felt by other employees, and concerns about customer service.

More than one-third of the respondents (38%) believed that the extended right to request flexible working (to parents with children under 17 years of age) will have a major impact at their organisation. And four in five (83%) believed that the right to request flexible working should be extended to cover all employees.

Avatar
Nadia Willliams

previous post
BT offers HR consultancy to share best practice
next post
EHRC sex discrimination tribunal begins

You may also like

Treasury accused of hypocrisy over push for older...

24 Mar 2023

Top employers join prison employment advisory boards

24 Mar 2023

Teacher vacancies are double pre-Covid levels

23 Mar 2023

Value of older workers recognised by pledge

23 Mar 2023

Recruitment teams are rising stars, says LinkedIn survey

21 Mar 2023

Budget 2023: number of returnees will be ‘modest’

16 Mar 2023

How will ChatGPT affect recruitment?

15 Mar 2023

Labour market figures March 2023: vacancies continue to...

14 Mar 2023

Managers call for ‘help to hire’ courses for...

10 Mar 2023

NHS staff survey: One in three often consider...

9 Mar 2023

  • Sodexo Engage – Mountain of lost benefits ebook PROMOTED | Help your people feel the impact of your benefits...Read more
  • Neurodiversity: How to make the workplace more inclusive (webinar) WEBINAR | Can your organisation truly be inclusive...Read more
  • How HR can facilitate internal talent mobility PROMOTED | Should internal talent mobility be a priority...Read more
  • Bereavement in the workplace: How training can help HR get it right PROMOTED | HR professionals play an essential role...Read more
  • UK workforce mental wellbeing needs PROMOTED | The mental wellbeing support employers are providing misses the mark...Read more
  • The Workplace Today Guide: Why it pays to support your staff’s financial health PROMOTED | The cost of living crisis has hit...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2023

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2023 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+