Two major surveys, investigating the opinions of over 2,500 workers across the UK, France, Spain and Germany have revealed that flexible working opportunities are now among the most crucial components of an employee benefits package. Interestingly, the ability to work flexibly at home or on the move was deemed to be more important than a company car according to 68% of respondents. Other popular employee benefits included: the provision of improved technology, generous annual leave and employer pension contribution.
The Growing Popularity of Flexible Working
The number of contemporary employees looking to escape the traditional office environment is growing significantly. When asked to name their three most desired benefits upon joining a company; 80% of UK-based workers identified flexible working compared to 88% in Germany, 75% in Spain and 60% in France. Another frequently recurring response, particularly among workers aged 25-35, was the need for improved technology to facilitate flexible or remote working. When quizzed on the barriers to flexible working, numerous respondents listed: difficulty accessing company documentation remotely, a breakdown in communication between colleagues, delays in important decision making and insufficient capability of mobile devices.
Can Organisations Deliver Flexible Working?
Despite the growing demand for flexible working opportunities, organisations appear to be struggling to successfully implement remote working procedures, due largely to budgetary constraints. Many businesses who already paid for their employees’ existing mobile devices did not see the benefit of upgrading contracts to fully support employees working remotely full time. Employers also expressed concerns with regard to the potential managerial implications of monitoring large numbers of employees working off-site.
Ceequel® Time and Attendance Solutions
Developed and supported by ELF Productivity, Ceequel® Employee Management Software provides organisations with a comprehensive solution to cope with the rigours of flexible or remote working. Our award-winning Time and Attendance Software will gather and process all employee attendance data instantly, delivering detailed reports of all basic and outside-normal hours worked by employees. A broad range of clock in features are also available for employees working off-site including: internet and email clocking, smart phone apps, dedicated landlines, USB clocking and GPS clocking.
We hope that you found this article of interest. If you would like to learn more about Ceequel® Employee Management Software, please contact ELF Productivity.