{"id":893,"date":"2019-04-16T09:52:22","date_gmt":"2019-04-15T23:52:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sage-people-scraping-ca.local\/?p=893"},"modified":"2026-04-30T00:15:38","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T14:15:38","slug":"flexible-working-why-reasons-no-brainer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-au\/blog\/flexible-working-why-reasons-no-brainer\/","title":{"rendered":"Flexible working: 7 reasons it\u2019s a no-brainer"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPeople & Leadership<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tFlexible working: 7 reasons it\u2019s a no-brainer\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\tFlexible working is something 80% of employees value. Here\u2019s seven reasons why it\u2019s a no-brainer for organizations in today\u2019s world of work\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\tJessica Leyshon<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

What hours did you work yesterday?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chances are, it wasn\u2019t 9 to 5.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The world of work as we know it is changing. With new technology making it easier to work anywhere and anytime, the traditional \u20189 to 5\u2019 as we know it is effectively dead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having flexibility in their working schedule is now an absolute priority for employees, helping them to successfully juggle work and home-life responsibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, more than 80% of 3,500 employees we polled globally placed importance and value on flexible and remote working.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Valuing a work-life balance has become increasingly important, whether this is to meet family needs, personal obligations or just to avoid rush hour. It\u2019s clear that giving employees increased control over their work schedule is good for employees, making it good for business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With that in mind, here are seven reasons why business leaders should be embracing the benefits of flexible working.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. The world of work has changed<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The line between work life and home life is much more blurred than it was even just a few years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, it\u2019s now commonplace for people to demand virtual meetings, or the ability to work from home, or even have \u2018duvet days<\/a>\u2019 when required, rather than having to suffer through the dreaded commute for three hours a day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furthermore, modern work responsibilities are often cross-functional, requiring staff to interact with a wider range of people in different time zones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result, constraints on how, where and when we work should be updated to reflect this cultural shift.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Free research report: The changing face of HR<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Seismic shifts in the way organisations operate, work, and manage their people are occurring. We surveyed 500+ HR leaders to discover how they are responding.<\/p>\n

Uncover insights on how to stay ahead and transform HR from a process focused function to a people driven business.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDownload Report<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

2. There\u2019s a war for talent<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With top talent becoming harder and harder to attract and retain, many industries are facing widespread skills shortages. As a result, in-demand employees can be much more selective \u2013 and the desire for flexibility is a key factor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, a recent study found that 54% of people would be willing to move jobs to gain greater flexibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Employers who offer flexible working will therefore attract the best talent and will also be more likely to retain these employees for longer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In today\u2019s ultra-competitive business landscape, this could be the difference between success and failure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Flexible working boosts productivity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Workforce productivity has become a global issue. Our research shows that employees are typically working only 30 hours a week, which means there\u2019s a whole day when they\u2019re in the office, but not actually getting any work done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s more, most people who work a 40-hour week feel they are productive for only 3.75 days out of the 5-day working week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Revolutionising productivity in new ways, such as giving employees the freedom to work in the way that best suits them, could go a long way towards narrowing the productivity gap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Flexible working empowers employees<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Our research also found that workers want to feel valued and recognised, with two-thirds (66%) of those surveyed seeing this as the most important aspect of their day-to-day working life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For many, this is so much more vital than office perks, like games in the office or free food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Giving employees the freedom to work in their own way shows them that they are a valued and trusted member of the team. It also empowers them to perform to a high standard and be as productive as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Flexible working supports worker wellbeing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The health and wellbeing of staff has become more of a priority for businesses in recent years, as well as being increasingly vital for employees themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over a third of employees we polled (39%) believe HR and People teams could do more to improve wellness at work, with initiatives such as providing free fruit or offering a subsidised gym membership now proving popular.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flexible working can help in this area by reducing stress (no more mad dashes to the train station) and enabling some breathing space when needed \u2013 supporting employees\u2019 mental wellbeing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. It\u2019s what workers want<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the most important reasons for businesses to embrace flexible working is simply because it\u2019s what staff want.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Fuze, nearly 50% of workers across all generations would like to be more mobile at work, rising to 70% for those aged 16-44.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Employees want to be able to pick their children up from school, start and finish early if they have international calls first thing in the morning, or be able to head to a doctors\u2019 appointment without fear they might be slacking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Technology has changed<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Arguably the most straightforward argument for remote working is that staff simply no longer need to be in the office to do their jobs effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most workers now have all the tools they need on their smartphones and tablets, which means they can comfortably work from anywhere \u2013 be that a coffee shop between meetings, their home, or somewhere where they can best work undistracted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cloud technology gives employees secure access to documents externally, while collaboration and communication tools enable staff to work together from opposite sides of the globe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With that in mind, isn\u2019t it time the way we work changed to reflect these capabilities?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you flexible about flexible working in your organisation?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ultimately, enabling flexible working should be a focus for all companies. From helping talent retention, to creating positive workplace experiences \u2013 which is important to 92% of people \u2013 the long and short-term benefits could prove invaluable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most importantly, giving employees flexibility will result in a happier, more engaged and more productive workforce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In an age of continuing disruption and increasing competition, that\u2019s not something businesses can afford to ignore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Free research report: The changing face of HR<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Seismic shifts in the way organisations operate, work, and manage their people are occurring. We surveyed 500+ HR leaders to discover how they are responding.<\/p>\n

Uncover insights on how to stay ahead and transform HR from a process focused function to a people driven business.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDownload Report<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Subscribe to the Sage Advice Newsletter<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Get a roundup of our best business advice in your inbox every month<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSubscribe<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Browse more topics from this article<\/h3>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t
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