Flexible work is good for business and good for employees. The evidence is clear. To celebrate 22 May, Flexible Working Day, the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (‘WGEA’) is asking all organisations to think about how they could become a little ‘flexier’.
“Flexible Working Day is an international day to celebrate and showcase the benefits of flexible work for both people and organisations,” Vanessa Vanderhoek, Founder Flexible Working Day.
A 2010 survey by Bain & Co found that 94% of women and 74% of men surveyed were interested in flexible working arrangements. Despite this high level of interest, only 46% of female and 25% of male respondents had used or were currently using flex. This research showed that not only was there a discrepancy between interest in flexibility and the take up of flexible work, it also tells us that women are almost twice as likely to use flex than men.
Flexible working is increasingly recognised as a valuable way to attract and retain employees across all age groups and genders. It drives employee engagement and productivity as well as boosting employee well-being and happiness. Access to flexible working is clearly linked to:
- Improved organisational productivity
- An enhanced ability to attract and retain employees
- Improved employee wellbeing
- An increased proportion of women in leadership
- Future-proofing the workplace
Fortunately, WGEA data shows that employers are realising this and the number of employers embracing flexible working arrangements is growing each year. Over five years of data, there has been a 13.2 percentage point increase in the number of employers committing to flexible work. Seven out of ten workplaces now have a flexible working policy or strategy.
To assess how ready your organisation is to adopt flexible work, WGEA have a handy assessment toolkit available.
Completing the flexibility readiness assessment enables your organisation to understand the status quo. This is an important first step in constructing a tailored strategy to improve flexibility.
Let today be your first step on the journey towards adopting flexible work. The outcomes are worth it.