Flexible Working - why do we still not get it?

I was on a “handling the media” course a week back and had to give a practice telephone interview to a journalist.  “Oh no, not another pitch on flexible working” she exclaimed, “you guys have been talking about this since the Earth was cooling”.  Thus motivated, I started my interview.  But she was right, flexible working is not new news, but for some reason in the UK, we still don’t get it.  A recent study of 8000 European organisations by Cranfield School of Management found that only 48% of UK organisations offer flexitime, compared with 90% in Germany, 94% in Sweden.  Tele-working stats are similar – 20% of UK employees have the option, compared with 44% in Germany and Sweden, and about the same in Denmark and Norway.

Despite having some of the most liberal employment laws in Europe, our organisations are still resisting.  Perhaps surprisingly the public sector might lead the way – with the “Gershon” reforms and transformation agenda forcing the radical rethink of the distribution of work and people which some commercial organisations can avoid.

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