UK SB owners driving adoption of flexible working

AMERSHAM, UK: A new study, “Worldwide Workplace: The Web Commuting Imperative”, reveals how UK small business owners are recognising the role of flexible working practices in business, with almost two-thirds (62 per cent) actively supporting remote working. The independent research, commissioned by Citrix Online, also shows 84 per cent believe offering flexible hours is essential to running a successful business, with 46 per cent stating flexible hours as the key to attracting and retaining the best talent.

The study also shows that 39 per cent of small business owners would allow employees to work away from the office if they requested the option, which bodes well for the additional 4.5 million parents who now have the right to apply for flexible working following the introduction of new government legislation on April 6.

Small business owners are keen to adopt flexible working and Web Commuting – using Internet to work from anywhere - personally, with 62 per cent stating they would like the opportunity to work remotely, with the top benefit being the ability to have more control over their day, according to 43 per cent of respondents. They also recognised the benefits of Web Commuting for their employees, identifying greater job satisfaction as the key overall benefit, with 67 per cent agreeing that Web Commuting would appeal to their employees.

The study reveals small business owners are keen to pass on these benefits, with 39 per cent saying they will allow employees to Web commute if they requested it. Other occasions included family emergencies (46 per cent), personal illness (45 per cent) and bad weather (39 per cent). 

Of those small business owners who required employees to travel, 63 per cent are willing to allow employees to participate in online meetings, rather than travel for in-person meetings, recognising increased productivity (26 per cent) and reduced expenses (19 per cent) as the single most important benefit.

The appeal of Web Commuting among the surveyed workers is also evident, with 61 per cent stating they would like the ability to work remotely, away from the office, in their current or next job. One out of five respondents also said they would take a pay cut in order to work remotely and more flexibly.

When questioned on the best thing about working remotely, work-life balance topped the survey with 35 per cent of workers saying having more control over their day was a top priority, followed by 21 per cent who stated saving money on travel was the key benefit. Two thirds (66 per cent) agree that easy access to their office computer, from any location, would be very valuable; with 55 per cent saying they would benefit from a way to meet with people online

“Flexible working driven by Web Commuting can give businesses an edge ? especially in this difficult economic environment ? since employees can be productive working from anywhere at any time. It also enables them to retain the best talent, improve staff morale, and meet work-life balance needs of their workers,” said Brett Caine, general manager of Citrix Online. “It’s especially encouraging that small business owners are demonstrating a forward-looking approach to flexible working, considering they make up 99 per cent of UK businesses.”

“Enabling a remote workforce to help drive efficiencies in the workplace doesn’t have to be expensive,” continued Caine. “With Web-based access and collaboration technologies, businesses of any size can quickly, easily and very cost effectively mobilise a remote workforce, without the need for expensive and complex on-premise infrastructure requirements.”

“It makes eminent sense to fully utilise Web Commuting,” said Amanda Alexander from Coaching Mums and a World Wide Workplace Council Member. “The more we can demonstrate the benefits, the more we can build momentum for its uptake. The government talks about flexible working and having time off for parents with children under a certain age: if the government promotes Web Commuting as an integral part of their flexible working initiative, this can only improve the retention of skilled employees and benefit companies’ bottom lines. Company culture has to change in line with this so that individuals are encouraged to take responsibility in creating their own flexible working environment, driving that change from the top and the bottom.”

The study questioned 500 UK workers and a further 230 UK small business owners employing 100 people or less, on issues relating to ‘Web Commuting’ - the practice of using the Internet in order to work at any time, from anywhere.