UK workers denied flexible working

Research says the UK lags behind the rest of Europe

UK employers must offer flexible working

An Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) report says UK employers are failing to offer employees flexible working despite having the technology infrastructure to enable it.

The report, published on Friday, finds despite the growth in flexible working, the UK is lagging behind its European competitors.

Only 20 per cent of UK employers offer tele-working compared to around 40 per cent in Germany, Sweden and Denmark.

And although flexi-time is available in around 90 per cent of German and Swedish companies, only 48 per cent of UK companies offer it.

Technology has enabled the growth of remote working through widespread broadband connectivity, hosted exchange services, remote IT support and more effective storage possibilities, the report says.