A survey conducted amongst small and medium-sized businesses has showed a mixed picture when it came to the implementation of the flexible working directive amongst SME's which came into effect on June 30.
A healthy 32% of the 400 business owners and decision-makers in the Sage survey said they believed that the initiative will bring working arrangements into the 21st Century, and another 30 per cent believed flexible working will boost employee productivity.
Other key findings included nearly half saying they have the technology in place to support flexible working and 26% already offering flexible working as standard to all employees.
Some small businesses however run the risk of being subject to an employment tribunal if they do not handle an employees’ request in a ‘reasonable manner’, and the findings suggest that there are a large number of firms not prepared for the guidelines.
Rob Davis, Head of Technology of Sage UK’s Small and Medium Business Division, comments:
"This should be viewed as an opportunity, not a hurdle to overcome, as flexible working can produce immense benefits for a small business. A boost to staff morale, increased productivity and improved efficiency can all go a long way in unlocking business growth.
"Small businesses need to make sure they’re set up to provide flexible working should their employees request it. Being not so flexible is no longer an option, this a legislative directive and it cannot be ignored.
It’s good to see a significant proportion of businesses supporting this way of working but they need to make sure they get their house in order to avoid being punished - as opposed to using this opportunity to boost their profits."
