Far from the adding crowd: work-life balance is on the UK political agenda and businesses are seeing benefits from flexible working. Camilla Berens asks what this means for CIMA members.
| Author | Berens, Camilla |
| Position | JOBS & CAREERS - Chartered Institute of Management Accountants |
David Cameron's recent call for a better work-life balance must have struck a chord with many people. But, whether you're the Opposition leader or simply a middle manager with itchy feet, the problem is the same: it's easier to talk about a more rewarding lifestyle than to achieve it.
It's not only politicians who see the need for change. The CBI is backing a three-year campaign to promote employee-friendly practices such as flexible, home and mobile working. At the launch of the campaign in May, Sir Digby Jones, the CBI's outgoing director-general, noted that flexible working benefits companies keen to motivate and retain staff. "More flexible working benefits the economy through high productivity and reduces transport pressure," he said. "The challenge is to strike the right balance--both in and out of work--and achieve maximum flexibility while meeting the needs of our businesses and customers."
The campaign began with a national Work Wise Week followed by a summit at which politicians, unions and business leaders discussed strategies.
"Working nine to five, five days a week at a central location is an anachronism," according to Phil Flaxton, CEO of the IT Forum Foundation, the not-for-profit organisation behind the campaign. "It's only culture that dictates this rigid work structure. Work Wise aims to break down these traditions and make the UK the most progressive economy in the world." Work Wise wants at least of half the UK's working population to use some form of "smarter" working by 2010.
The UK government is already committed to promoting flexible working in the public sector. In the private sector companies such as Microsoft, Nationwide, Thames Water and BT have found that giving staff more working options has had a significant impact on the bottom line.
At BT the number of employees using flexible working has grown from 400 to 63,000 in the past ten years. The company says it has saved 220m [pounds sterling] in property management costs alone, while travel costs have fallen by 9.7m [pounds sterling] a year. A BT survey found that 70 per cent of its teleworkers thought they had increased their productivity, while 65 per cent reported having saved at [east six hours a week on commuting time.
The company now offers eight different working styles. Although the overall effect of flexible working has been positive, a report highlighted some initial problems. Concerns over how to maintain team spirit and track performance, and the lack...
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