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A recent survey of professionals working across Guernsey's business community has revealed that 76% had requested flexible working hours and of those, 90% had had their request granted. 77% also agreed that their workplace supported flexible working.
The statistics were gained from the recent 'Female Friendly Employment Legislation' seminar, hosted by the Women’s Development Forum and debated by lawyers from Mourant Ozannes. The data suggest that Guernsey employers are more open to flexibility than is sometimes commonly thought.
The session included an active debate on the pros and cons of flexible working, as well as an insightful case study into the practicalities of introducing flexible working policies. The speakers agreed that communication, careful planning and a shift in business culture/mind-set were all essential for successful flexible working.
A large number of respondents also thought that offering flexibility enhanced staff retention (93%) as well as increased productivity (74%). However, the speakers also discussed how flexible working can carry risks if proper policies and procedures were not put in place. A third of respondents thought that accessing flexibility still held back women's career progression and a large majority also believed that flexibility can cause problems for employers in terms of protecting confidentiality, maintaining profitability and servicing clients and customers.
Guernsey Managing Partner, Jessica Roland, said: "The findings from the questionnaire have been useful in identifying whether businesses should be actively offering their employees flexible working hours and the possible impacts on businesses to consider.
"We received some interesting information, which revealed that while three quarters had sought flexibility to care for children, a substantial number had also sought flexibility to study or re-train (23%). The results suggest that flexibility in the modern age is not exclusively about caring for children, although childcare remains a key driver."
"Overall, the data suggest that while flexibility should be looked at with an eye to practical realities, those making the case for it in Guernsey generally have cause for optimism on the strength of these survey results", said Ms Roland.
