WorkingMums.co.uk | <div>Two thirds of employers turn down home working requests</div>

Two thirds of employers turn down home working requests

Date: 11:10pm, 27 May 2008

Over two thirds of employers are likely to turn down requests for working from home, according to a survey.

The Labour Market Outlook survey of 735 UK firms conducted by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development found that 69% of firms never or only occassionally granted home working requests.

It also found that many people do not ask for flexible working because they fear they will be turned down.

Home working requests were very likely to be refused, although the survey showed only 8% of employers thought employees were less productive if they worked from home while 30% said they were more productive than office-based workers.

Working hours creeping back up, warns TUC

A 10-year long decline in Britain’s working hours has been reversed in the last few months, according to the TUC, which is warning against the resurgence of unpaid overtime.

It wants to see companies introducing more flexible working pratices, its general secretary Brendan Barber told a Work Wise conference last week.

It says the current economic uncertainty could prompt employers to retreat from innovative working patterns, but adds that these increase employee motivation and productivity.

The TUC says 175,000 more people now work longer than 48 hours a week than in 2006. Commuting time is getting longer too with 40% more people spending over an hour to get to and from work than ten 10 years ago.

Employment consultants Pasfield Curran say they believe flexible working can increase productivity by 15% and halve absentee rates.
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Mums ‘need to be selfish’

Mothers need to be more selfish and take time for themselves, according to a new book.

Mothers need time-outs too by American mothers Susan Callahan, Anne Nolen and Katrin Schumann says women feel guilty about taking time away from their children, but they need to learn to give themselves “little nuggets of time” during the day, such as having a bath instead of a shower.

The writers interviewed 500 mothers for the book and said not one liked the idea of being more selfish since it went against the stereotype of mothers being selfless.
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Young people embrace flexible working

Young people are increasingly turning towards flexible working and looking to find a balance between work and their other interests, according to a survey.

The survey of more than 2,500 people aged between 11 and 25 found that they were turning their backs on the kind of relentless slog that they associated with their parents and instead were ready to resign jobs which were not satisfying and didn’t allow them time off for travelling or doing voluntary work. They placed these before salary and status. The survey was conducted by Talentsmoothie, a consultancy on workforce trends which works in the banking, legal and professional services sectors.
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