Microsoft: Businesses must get on board with flexible working

Despite it being exactly one year since the UK government declared that all employees have the right to request flexible working, Microsoft says uptake of the legislation has been slow.

Over a fifth of small and medium business workers have requested flexible working as a direct result of the law. However they are being thwarted by the fact that despite the legislation, a significant portion of British office workers (55 per cent) are still required by employers to work from the office within designated working hours, says Microsoft.

“Business leaders should reimagine how workers operate. According to the Office of National Statistics, productivity levels in the UK are stagnant and lower than the start of the recession in 2007. There’s never been a better time to change since there’s a risk that firms are cultivating an environment that traps staff in process and red-tape instead of giving them the opportunity to think and have the necessary head-space to be creative,” said Dave Coplin, Chief Envisioning Officer at Microsoft UK.

“Only 11 per cent of employees feel like they have good ideas in the office, and many spend the day doing administrative orientated tasks like trying to achieve ‘inbox-zero’.

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