Flexible working can improve profits and productivity, but comprehensive monitoring is required

Adopting flexible working options has resulted in improvements in profits and productivity, results from an extensive research initiative across 8,000 global employers and employees, conducted by Vodafone, have suggested.

The report, titled ‘Flexible: Friend or Foe?’ questioned employers from small and medium-sized businesses, public sector organisations and multinational corporations (MNCs) in 10 different countries and found that SMEs in particular had been overwhelmingly convinced about the business benefits of flexible working.

A large proportion (61 per cent) of respondents said staff now use their home broadband to access work applications, while 24 per cent said employees use a mobile data connection via their smartphone, tablet or laptop with a broadband dongle.

On the other hand, Vodafone’s research also revealed that 20 per cent of respondents said their organisation had not yet implemented a flexible working policy. It found some stereotypes about home working remain stubbornly ingrained. For example 22 per cent believed employees would not work as hard if allowed to adopt flexible working patterns and technologies.

Tensor time and attendance systems deliver full support for flexible working

Tensor plc is the “go to” company for an extensive range of workforce management solutions that cater for all the requirements of the modern workplace, including flexible working.

The Tensor time and attendance system can supply working rules for a variety of purposes, from simple determination of overtime by the number of daily hours worked, to the more complex payment of overtime hours adjusted when periodic targets are not met. It also contains special rules to accommodate the formal flexitime contracts worked by many public sector employees. Workers paid on an annual contract basis can receive reports stating how many contracted hours they have yet to work.

Additionally, our top-range WinTA suite features an On-line Self Service module that allows staff to clock IN or OUT, check hours, request leave + other functions via internet, mobile or other communications.

Furthermore, with the Telephone Clocking module, staff can call in from remote locations to clock IN or OUT or review their flexitime balance or remaining holiday entitlement. After entry of their pass code, an automated, spoken menu guides employees to the option they require.

If you’d like to find out more about the range of workforce management and Time and Attendance solutions supplied by Tensor and just how we can help your company implement thorough and reliable flexible working arrangements, just contact us or Book a Demo, our representatives will be more than happy to answer any questions or queries you might have.