Survey finds employers back flexible working

Employers support work-life balance for their employees, according to a government survey published as the new right for parents to request flexible work comes into force.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) surveyed more than 1,200 workplaces with five or more employees and found that:

* nine out of 10 employers said there were no or minimal costs involved in implementing their work-life balance practices and over three quarters of employees who requested a change to their working patterns have had their request agreed to;

* three-quarters of employers thought that an employee who works flexibly is just as likely to be promoted and 82% of employees who changed from full-time to part-time kept the same job and the same level of seniority; and

* three-quarters said they had a more motivated and committed workforce as a result of work-life balance practices and 60% reported reduced turnover of employees.

The DTI has published a booklet giving examples from 50 companies that have adopted work-life practices.

Flexible working: the business case is free to download from www.dti.gov.uk/work-lifebalance or contact the DTI publications orderline, tel: 0870 150 2500, ref. URN 03/761