Flexible working `being accepted`
Updated on 08 September 2008
More than nine out of 10 requests by employees to work part time, jobshare, work from home or have a career break have been accepted by companies in the past year, new research has showed.
A survey of over 500 firms and public sector organisations such as the NHS, revealed a growing acceptance of flexible working arrangements across British industry.
The CBI said its study showed that the boundaries of the traditional 9-5 working day were becoming more "blurred", partly as people tried to cut their carbon footprint or avoid poor transport journeys.
The annual survey also revealed that a third of adults reaching retirement age had asked if they could carry on working, with most of these requests also being accepted.
John Cridland, the CBI's deputy director general said it was clear many older workers did not want to retire, partly for financial reasons, particularly because of the current downturn in the housing market.
"There is a sea change going on in the labour market. Most requests to work flexibly are being accepted, working from home is seen as good for business and more companies are worried about their carbon footprint," he said.
The study also revealed fears among employers that the UK's flexible labour market was being threatened by "burdensome" red tape and poor skill levels among employees or school-leavers.
Most firms said they were unhappy with school-leavers' foreign language skills, business awareness and work experience.
Mr Cridland said the Government needed to recognise that businesses were at the "limit" of what they could absorb in employment regulations.
"If employers aren't given breathing space from workplace legislation then jobs will be put at risk. Pointless rules about diversity are still on the cards, and employers feel they are making strong progress under their own steam without the need for rafts of new legislation."
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