New research from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) shows that small organisations can implement flexible working arrangements better and with less bureaucracy than large firms – contrary to the perception that only large firms can manage flexible working successfully. 

The Flexible working: Good Business report, based on interviews with managers and staff at five small firms across the country, reinforces findings from earlier research, which show a clear business case for flexible working in small and large organisations. 

The research finds that, in addition to the impact on the organisation's bottom line, flexibility can help reduce the stress that many employees feel when they try to balance the demands of home and working life. And organisations can also benefit from the positive impact of flexible working on their reputation as a responsible employer. 

David Frost, BCC Director General, says:

“More and more employers are offering flexible working, not because they are required to do so by legislation: survey evidence suggests that two in five employers offer the chance to work flexibly to employees who have no statutory right to ask for it – in many cases, to all employees.  In April 2007 the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) published survey research – Work and Life: How business is striking the right balance – which paints a vivid picture of the extent of flexibility being offered by employers. The findings indicate that businesses in many instances are working flexibly, not just offering part-time working (72% of respondents) or variable working hours (69%) but also the opportunity to work from home (38%).” 

Other findings from the survey include:

• Cost is not an issue in relation to flexibility for any of the small firms examined.  IT, including emails and mobile phones, can be important in providing mechanisms to keep people in touch with the office while working from home.
• Companies are clear that the positive business benefits are substantial and that flexibility pays off.
• Flexible working practices are easier to introduce as part of a common culture with shared values. 
• Flexibility is a business issue: there is no need to have an HR department or bureaucratic procedures to make it work effectively.
• Flexible working in small companies is visible primarily in the way in which people are managed, rather than in formal employment contracts or company policies.  

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