Iruni Kalupahana JadeTimes Staff
I. Kalupahana is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Technology
Flexible Working Boosts Productivity and Loyalty
Offering flexible working, including from home, has proved to boost productivity and loyalty. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds emphasized that firms should assess staff on output and not on "the culture of presenteeism" where attendance in the office is stressed rather than performance. As work becomes different in nature, the attitude will be one of mutual trust, participation, and devotion on the part of the employees.
Labour’s Employment Rights Bill
It is against that backdrop Labour is ready to bring forward its Employment Rights Bill which it claims will give more rights to workers. The most important of them all are, being able to "disconnect" outside work hours, banning zero hours contracts, allowing employees to compress contracted hours into fewer working days. Labour also intends to make flexible working a default right and to repeal anti strike laws brought in by the Conservatives. While some business groups have complained that all of these could do the opposite and raise the cost of hiring, Reynolds was quick to point out that in the long term, all these changes would be beneficial to businesses because it would improve employee satisfaction and retention.
Challenges and Concerns Raised by Businesses
But some businesses, including major corporations such as Amazon, have been cooling on the idea of fully flexible working. Amazon recently announced that its staff would have to work in the office five days a week from January, although with exceptions for emergencies. Other businesses, like Morrisons and Asda, have gone back on four day week trials, also noting the longer days present a challenge. Even considering these decisions, studies still show that flexible working can be feasible in many sectors if the right plan and response from employees are listened to.
Benefits and Drawbacks of Flexible Working for Women
On the other hand, flexible working can have significant benefits for most people, mainly women who usually undertake unpaid caring responsibilities. Prof Efpraxia Zamani adds that in rural areas, it helps the women access jobs that are further afield without having to travel to and from work. On the downside, however, is the fact that at home, women are usually expected to handle both work and household responsibilities, hence fragmented workdays. In addition, remote workers are thought of not to be as visible to get promotions within companies.
Balancing Flexibility with Career Progression
Jonathan Reynolds said, "While flexible working can bring many benefits, some jobs need people to be in a workplace together, not least when people learn from colleagues around them. Offering flexible working can help regional inequality in the UK by providing opportunities to work for a company to people who might live in areas miles away from the actual workplace. However, employers should ensure that working from home does not affect their employees negatively and they are considered for promotion and growth in their careers.
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