UK shows 'old fashioned' attitudes to homeworking

UK shows 'old fashioned' attitudes to homeworking

The UK is lagging behind other modern economies when it comes to homeworking and flexible working arrangements, according to a study.

As of Monday (June 30), employees who have worked for a business for 26 weeks or more will be allowed to request the right to flexible working.

However, two polls by recruiter Timewise found radically different attitudes to homeworking among workers and managers. Of the 500 managers questioned, nine out of 10 said they were happy to talk to new recruits about flexible and homeworking but just one in four of their job adverts included details of what flexible working arrangements were available.

A second poll carried out by the firm showed that four out of 10 workers wanted the right to work from home or put in flexible hours.

Timewise co-founder Karen Mattison told Wales Online: "Millions of full time workers now want some choice on where and when they work. In today's post recession market employers are having to fight harder for talent, and yet by playing their cards too close to their chests when it comes to alternative working structures, they miss a key advantage.

"Talented and skilled people are actively searching for workplaces that offer a more modern approach, where quality of performance is rated more than the pattern it took to get there."

Employment Minister Jenny Willott said that current working practices are “old-fashioned and rigid” and welcomed the introduction of regulations allowing greater flexibility in the workplace.

She added: "Extending the right to request flexible working to all employees will drive a cultural shift where flexible working becomes the norm and is not just for the benefit of parents and carers."

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