Flexible Working in Central Government: Leveraging the Benefits
(University of Reading, commissioned by the OGC)

Available from:
www.ogc.gov.uk/sdtoolkit/reference/ogc_library/property/
flexible_work.pdf

This report examines the progress, across more that 50 government departments of implementing flexible working since 2003.

'Flexibility has become the byword for all organisations as they attempt to find ways to respond more quickly to an increasingly dynamic business environment.'

It states the two major benefits from working flexibly were considered to be the ability to recruit and retain staff and increased staff efficiency. Both of these relate to employee motivational factors and highlight the importance of employee satisfaction with working conditions. Working flexibly, staff efficiency was considered to increase in 26% of the respondents' organisations while only 2% of organisations thought efficiency decreased.

The report emphasises that it is apparent that for an organisation to become more flexible, three resources [workforce, technology, property] must work together. A lack of flexibility within any one may undermine any potential flexibility in the other two. For instance a department commented that one of greatest barriers to using their recently refurbished office space more flexibly was the inability of their telephone systems to follow staff to different locations within the building. If the benefits of flexibility are to be achieved then all three resources need to be considered. Training for managers and guidance for managing flexible workers is highlighted as among key facilitators for successful implementation of flexible working.

Swiftwork, together with Flexibility Partners, HOP Associates and Peoplespace, and working with telephony solutions partner, Inclarity, are able to provide advice, support and feasibility studies for such an integrated solution.

This is summarised in this downloadable pdf.