Flexible working has become more common over recent years, but if results of a new survey are to be believed, some employers are still falling short of the mark.
More than 60 per cent of employees questioned by Hays said their bosses do not support family-friendly work practices – only 38 per cent were happy with the current arrangements.
There are various benefits to creating a better working environment, as explained by Nick Deligiannis, managing director of Hays in Australia and New Zealand.
He indicated that employers can benefit from reduced staff turnover, lower training costs and being able to retain the best talent – not to mention the morale boost that workers can receive.
"A balance between work and family allows staff to use employment arrangements to help them manage both family and lifestyle commitments, as well as the needs of their employer," Mr Deligiannis commented.
The broader economy could also reap rewards, mainly because more people would be able to remain in paid employment after starting a family.
One way to find out how staff believe improvements could be made to flexible working arrangements is to carry out employee satisfaction surveys.
This gives people the chance to give an honest opinion on the current arrangements, while allowing them to put forward any ideas they might have to make the situation better.
Hays found that 41 per cent of workers do not believe their place of employment is supportive of family-friendly work practices, while 21 per cent revealed there is some support, but not enough.
The group emphasised that it is easy to put at least some measures in place, regardless of how big or small a company might be.
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