It started years ago as a perk for hard-working, long-serving staff, who wanted to start and finish early or late; it was known as ‘flexi-time’ and was popular particularly amongst office staff. Nobody looked at it as a business tool; it was simply a reward for a select few.

Over years of social change and technological developments, employees became a lot more demanding with their requests and employers were increasingly backed into a corner (or so it seemed to them) if they wanted to retain key staff. In 2014 the government got involved and obliged employers to give reasonable consideration to any requests they received for flexible working. There wasn’t (and still isn’t) any requirement to say yes, but how many employers faced with what is a genuine and reasonable request would turn it down?

Employers can retain greater control of the process if they offer flexible working
Employers have long needed to wise up to the potential benefits. Maybe they should go as far as introducing opportunities for flexible working to their staff rather than wait until they are asked. Logically they would retain greater control of the process if they did, but I can still hear the complaints ringing in my ears from employers who have no intention of doing anything outside what they regard as ‘the norm’.

It’s probably easier for a small business than a larger one, as a small employer can be flexible on an individual basis and has greater scope to reorganise his/her work flow around the fact that employees are not going to be there from nine to five every day of the working week.

Helping to balance work and life successfully can only be a good thing
There are catches too to people not working regular hours or not being in the office for all of their contracted hours. Availability to callers and visitors can often be managed, but there’s not an employer in the land who wouldn’t admit to having at least a grain of doubt as to whether distractions away from the office prevent the flexible-working employee from putting in a ‘full shift’.

And then there’s the challenge of technology and the frustration of your PC or other device not doing what it is supposed to all the time, or of the kids using up the broadband width as soon as they are home from school.

It’s impossible to create a ‘perfect world’, but helping everybody to be happy in their work and to balance work and ‘life’ successfully can only be a good thing.