Why the Tech Sector is Best for Flexible Working
A new study has found that 84% of employees in the technology industry are offered flexible working, making it the best sector in the UK for flexible working.
We have found out ourselves as recruiters that our Candidates within the IT sector are regularly offered flexible working from our Clients – main reason being the culture of the industry, alongside applications and tools made available to IT employees means they can work from home and the need to be office based is less important.
Sam Birtwistle , IT Consultant at Hewett Recruitment said ''It’s refreshing to see so many companies in the technology sector are going beyond simply offering flexible working, and are instead proactively encouraging a culture change towards smarter working – helping improve productivity, creativity and morale.”
The recent survey, conducted by the Smarter Working Initiative, found that on average, 65% of employees in the UK are given flexible working options - but Julia Waltham, Head of Policy & Communications at Working Families says that flexible working should be made available to all employees.
She adds that organisations should “invest in support for line managers to ensure commitments to family-friendly working are aligned across the organisation.”
“Advertise all jobs as flexible and move towards a position where it's the default to justify why jobs cannot be done flexibly - as opposed to the other way around,” she said.
Gov.uk says that all employees have the legal right to request flexible working and that it is not specifically there for the benefit of parents and carers.
Professor Cary Cooper, Professor of Organisational Psychology and Health at the Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, quoted.
“Companies have to offer flexible working to their employees – they don’t automatically get it but the right to request it is in law now for all [employees]."
"Your employer has a legal obligation to tell you why you can’t have it.”
These flexible policies allow employees to have flexible starting and finishing times and to work from home.
The study also found that 90% of the workers in the tech sector who are offered flexible working take it.
With the study also highlighting the worst sectors for offering flexible working, a career change may be on the cards for those who still have to come to the office every day.
Best sectors for flexible working:
Technology
Media and advertising
Finance
Worst sectors for flexible working:
Charity
Manufacturing
Professional services