Report suggests it’s time to get flexible with working hours

A recent report from The Industrial Society has suggested that when it comes to balancing working time with private life, UK employees would like to have more choice over when they work.

According to the research, employees with more choice over their working time feel less stressed, and are more able to successfully balance home and work. The survey also found that 75 per cent of workers would rather have complete control over their working hours than work five hours less at fixed times.

However, recent figures show that fewer than one in two workers have any control over their working hours. Yet over half of those who decide their own hours are completely or very satisfied with their job compared to 42 per cent of employees whose hours are decided by their employer.

Among younger workers, the numbers desiring autonomy are even higher, with graduates especially demanding when it comes to time sovereignty. One in five employees with degree-level qualifications are dissatisfied with their working hours, compared to just one in seven of those with lower level qualifications.

Angela Ismael, the Society’s expert on flexible working, commented: “British workplaces are riddled with a culture of presenteeism. Our workers currently work an average of 43.6 hours a week, nearly four hours more than most of their European counterparts. But there is increasing evidence that today’s employees believe – and quite rightly – that they should be judged by their work output, not by the number of hours they spend sitting at their desks.” (CL)