Recent research from Dimension Data suggests that agile working is on the rise, and that in the next two years there could be as much as a 40% increase in businesses endorsing the practice.
Agile working allows a greater degree of flexibility, allowing employees to work remotely from anywhere in the world and is being embraced by companies all over the world; however, a great number of employers are still resistant, probably because they envisage their workforce sitting in their pyjamas watching Homes under the Hammer rather than working!
It has also, quite surprisingly, been reported that some employees resist agile working. When workers at SEAT in Spain had landlines removed to allow them to work flexibly with a laptop and smartphone, there was a significant degree of resistance from the staff, who on the whole wanted to retain a more traditional working structure.
Both employers and employees must weigh up the pros and cons if agile working is put on the agenda. For employers there can be benefits to productivity, retention, staff happiness and wellbeing and there can also be the additional cost saving benefit of requiring less office space, if employees are based at home.
For employees, better work-life balance, the lack of a daily commute and the ability to be at home for deliveries/repairs are clear benefits; while it is also noted that agile working assists many as an agile working environment allows employees to work at any point during the day (subject to customer/client requirements) which means that work can be carried out in the evening, at weekends or any time that suits to fit around other obligations.
Jackson Boyd’s employment team are happy to advise employers wishing to implement agile working and please feel free to contact one of our team on so please contact us online by clicking here or speak to a member of our specialist team on 0333 222 1855.
