Small businesses ‘better at flexible working policy’

27/05/2008

Small businesses are more likely to comply with flexible working requests than larger ones, Business Link has reported.

Almost 90% of small employers have provided their employees with some form of flexible working, said the organisation.

The announcement comes in response to new proposals by the government to extend the right to flexible working to parents of children up to the age of 16, benefitting more than six million people.

Business Link said more than 70% of employers had reported a ‘significant improvement’ in employee relations, with six in ten saying they had seen a rise in staff retention and almost 60% saying they had seen improved productivity.

John Hutton, the secretary of state for business, said flexible working could boost workers’ productivity levels.

“It is important employers retain control over deciding whether it suits their business to allow people to work flexibly, but extending the right to request to parents of older children will allow families to take priority when decisions are made,” he said.

Imelda Walsh, author of the Walsh Report which made the proposals, added that support for flexible working has made significant progress over the past 10 years.

“I am convinced the challenges which parents with older children face are considerable, and that the arguments for raising the age to 16 are compelling. This change would offer an important opportunity for parents to have extra flexibility at key times in their children's lives.”