UK WORKFORCE NOT BEING EQUIPPED WITH NECESSARY TOOLS AND KNOWLEDGE TO WORK FLEXIBLY
82 per cent of UK employees feel the Government must do more to
incentivise businesses to implement flexible working policies, according
to research commissioned by Plantronics
(NYSE: PLT). The research, titled “The State of the Flexible Working
Nation”, conducted by OnePoll, surveyed 2,000 UK employees to gain
an understanding of the UK’s changing working culture.
Findings show 70 per cent of respondents feel more productive when
working flexibly, yet only 54 per cent of UK employers provide staff
with the opportunity to do so. Respondents listed being able to spend
more time with their families (48 per cent), and saving money and time
on commuting (52 per cent) as benefits to adopting a flexible working
pattern.
Despite these benefits, Plantronics’ research revealed that only 36 per
cent of UK employees feel they have the necessary tools and knowledge to
work flexibly, with 63 per cent admitting they’d not received any
specialist training in this area. These findings demonstrate that there
is still a need to educate and support businesses in developing and
rolling out flexible working policies, and that the Government must play
a stronger role in helping businesses on this journey.
Additionally, the research suggested that even when flexible working is
in place, UK employees are reluctant to embrace it. The study found that
while more than half (54 per cent) of UK employers are providing staff
with the opportunity to work flexibly, only 13 per cent of employees
feel their colleagues support them when doing so. Furthermore, 42 per
cent feel flexible working is only encouraged for staff with children.
From these findings, it is clear much needs to be done to foster smarter
working policies within businesses, as well as change attitudes towards
it. Staff also need to be equipped with the required tools and knowledge
to optimise the benefits flexible working can deliver. With the right
incentives and support from the Government, there is a real opportunity
for businesses to better implement flexible working initiatives and take
advantage of the benefits it can offer.
“At Plantronics we’re great advocates of flexible working and believe
passionately that every employee and organisation can benefit from it,
from increased productivity to cost savings. However, to truly take
advantage of smarter working processes, employers must have the right
tools and training in place and this ethos should be supported and
echoed by Government in the form of better education and business
incentives if the nation’s working culture is to change. The government
has already taken some big steps aimed at extending flexible working
rights for all, supported by the deputy Prime Minister’s recent
campaigning, but our research suggests there is still work to be done,”
says Norma Pearce, EMEA HR Director, Plantronics.
Practicing what it preaches, Plantronics launched its Simply Smarter
Office at its UK headquarters in Royal Wootton Bassett in July 2011. The
office redesign, which was undertaken to implement a flexible working
environment, enables employees to improve their work life balance by
providing the necessary tools, skills and knowledge to enable them to
effectively work remotely from any location.
Since its launch, Plantronics has seen a 24 per cent increase in
employee satisfaction, to 85 per cent from 61 per cent, a reduction in
employee absenteeism from 12.7 per cent to 3.5 per cent, and a decrease
in attrition from 12 per cent to two. In a recent Employee Engagement
survey, Plantronics ranked in the 98th percentile in the UK, and the
86th percentile in Europe and Africa; both significantly above the
industry benchmark. The initiative has received many industry awards;
including a British Institute of Facility Management Award for Impact on
Organisation & Workplace, and it also won the Family Friendly Awards’
Innovation category for business practices putting staff at the heart of
their companies.
