Business leaders lead flexible working charge

Enterprise directors are leading by example when it comes to flexible working policies, but barriers still exist to widespread adoption of the practice by employees, according to a new survey of Institute of Directors (IoD) members released today.

Nearly 100 percent of respondents said they work from home on a regular basis and most have flexible working policies at their workplace, but nearly two-thirds identified corporate culture as a major barrier.

The IoD's senior e-business and e-government policy advisor, Jim Norton, questioned whether the freedom given to directors to work remotely extends to all employees, and said that only a change in management systems would facilitate flexible working practices throughout an organisation.

"To make flexible working [a reality] you have to start measuring visible outputs," he argued. "It's a better way to manage anyway, saying '[I don't mind where you work] if the tasks I've assembled have been done, ' rather than 'have you been sat at your desk from 9 to 5?"

He added that changing the management structure in this way would take a long time, but that technology barriers such as high-speed internet connections and secure private networks no longer exist for businesses.

"We're supportive [of flexible working] because it reduces absences, boosts productivity and makes companies more resilient, so [they're] in better shape to deal with disasters," he said. "But it’s also the responsibility of the employee to have a grown-up relationship with the company."

Andy Rawll of communications vendor Avaya, who commissioned the research, said that flexible working practices can only work if a joint effort is made by employers and employees.

"[Employees] have to have a dedicated workspace at home, so they can work effectively without distraction, [and] the business has a role to play by providing the technology to help them do that in a simple way," he said.

He added that it was important for firms to provide their staff with the same communications capabilities they would have in the office, including access to voice mail and hi-speed connections.

"Firms should choose a communications provider that can [support] the way you want to communicate rather than [offering] technology-driven choices," he advised. "They should [then] trial it, make sure it's fit for all the business and have a gradual, sensible roll-out."

It is also vital for middle managers to trust their staff to work away from the office, and this can be achieved by setting regularly monitored and reasonable objectives, he added