London, July 26: Companies are more likely to retain their staff for long if they offer more flexible options, such as working from home, according to a new report.
A survey of almost 700 employees by recruitment firm Hays found that majority of people think that flexible working improved work-life balance, often taking it into account when choosing a job.
Over one-third of public sector staff said their employer encouraged flexible working, compared with just 18 per cent in private firms.
"Employers and their staff see flexible working policies as a positive move but more needs to be done to make sure these are implemented in the workplace,” the Scotsman quoted Charles Logan, director at Hays, as saying.
"Our research indicates that employers offer flexible working options to support their employees, with a comparatively small number saying they adopt flexible working simply to conform to current legislation,” he added.
TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: "The right to request flexible working is not only proving popular with employees, this survey shows it offers business benefits such as better morale and staff retention."