New rules governing flexible working have won a unanimous verdict from the West Yorkshire Business Jury.
Members of the panel, run by Holmfirth firm of accountants and business planners V&A Bell Brown, voted 7-0 in favour of the recent announcement that allows all employees to request flexible working hours from their employers.
Amanda Vigar, managing partner at V&A Bell Brown, who delivered the ruling, believes that flexible working arrangements can help with staff morale and motivation.
She said: “I have allowed staff to have flexible working arrangements for some time now and it has worked very well. As long as flexible working doesn’t have an impact on the bottom line, then it could be good for business.
“It may well be difficult for smaller businesses to accept flexible working arrangements, but larger small and medium-sized companies are more likely to be able to afford to be flexible with staff.”
Mark Sanderson, director at QED Finance, said the new rules will help firms recruit loyal workers and retain their best performers, adding: “Extending the right to request flexible working will help to create a cultural shift towards more modern, 21st century workplaces where working flexibly is the norm.”
Charles Brook, of Brook Business Recovery, agreed with the new rules in principal, but believes it may prove to be more difficult for small firms to implement, saying: “From an employer’s perspective, it’s good to have staff who feel they can legitimately approach their employer.
“However, because of the close relationships small employers have with their employees, they may feel unduly pressured to agree with these arrangements.”
Mike Funnell, of Power Tool Services, said it was very good news and would help with staff morale and productivity, but added: “Although employers would love to grant flexible working hours, it depends on the process and nature of work.”
David Richter, of Coral Homes UK, said: “In general, I have no issues with the revised flexible working rules as long as it doesn’t conflict with efficiency.
“Businesses have worked hard during the economic downturn to progress, which has been achieved through increased efficiency in difficult conditions, so what you can’t have is people undermining this and only wishing to work flexible hours to suit themselves.”
Morgan Wilson, of Juice Learning, said flexible working hours were fundamental for organisations, but only if the employee was willing to show their employer the same level of support. He said: “I am absolutely for the new flexible working rules, which can be a massive help for employees.”
