Flexible working more important than salary, says study

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Flexible working regulations are set to be extended this week to include anyone with a "caring responsibility," but a study suggests almost half of employees under 25 see setting their own work structure as a right, not a benefit, according to a study conducted by Future Laboratory for Microsoft.

Currently, 3.6 million parents with children under the age of six or children with disabilities have the right to request flexible working arrangements from their employers. As of Friday, that right will be extended to anyone with a "caring responsibility," such as for an elderly or ill family member.

In February, IT PRO reported Children's Minster Beverly Hughes' speech that all British workers should have the right to flexible working arrangements - whether they have children or not.

Last week, Prime Minister Tony Blair praised companies who let employees choose how and when to work. "The benefits for employees are clear," he said in a speech in Manchester last Friday. "But the benefits for employers are also immense. They can attract and keep the best workforce. They have fulfilled and happy employees. The best business works today as a partnership. Greater personal empowerment enables such a partnership to function."

And according to the Future Laboratory study, Britain's next generation of workers agrees. The report, which was which was commissioned by Microsoft, 48 per cent of younger employees said that being offered a flexible working arrangement is more important than a higher salary.

Mark Deakin, Microsoft UK's unified communications product manager said companies will have to take flexible working into consideration or risk losing new recruits.

But in order to do so, companies will need the right tools. Communications can be made easier if workers have an online "presence" which lets colleagues know when and how to contact them. For example, if they're in a meeting, everyone else will know to send an email rather than calling. Or if they're at their desk, instant messaging might be best for a quick response, Deakin said.

As well, Deakin said employees should have one phone number which follows them to the office, to their mobile and to their home phone, rather than handing out multiple numbers and sifting through voicemails.

But it's not just about getting in touch, Deakin said. "For flexible working, it's a combination of flexible communications and flexible collaboration," he said.

Collaboration tools can help disparate teams - employees may be working from home or just another part of the office - work on the same document without emailing multiple versions back and forth, Deakin said.

Indeed, it's not just about working remotely, said Deakin. Younger employees are accustomed to using instant messaging and other online tools to communicate. Companies that fail to upgrade their methods will feel backwards and old-fashioned to young recruits. "You can only think that they'll feel quite constrained," he said.

While some workers may appreciate IM and other unified communication tools, others may prefer to stick to voicemail messages and email. "Most of the challenges are not technical ones," said Deakin. "It's mostly cultural, which is harder to solve. You can't solve it with technology."

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