Comment on skiving and flexible working hours

Comment on skiving and flexible working hours - Dave Way, Marks Sattin

Dave Way, managing director of Marks Sattin said: “Employers hoping to crack the problem of absenteeism should look closely at the reasons why workers are taking unauthorised time off. For the most part, absenteeism isn’t a result of employees being disgruntled or lazy – it’s down to the conflicting commitments between work and home. PwC have shown that 21% of those taking unwarranted sick days are doing so to spend more time with their families. This puts flexible working squarely under the spotlight.

“Despite being such a hot topic, our research into working benefits shows it’s not as wide spread as you might expect, even in highly-skilled professions.  For instance, more than three quarters of finance and accountancy professions workers think flexible hours are an important benefit - but less than a third actually receive them.

“It’s true flexible working can add to the administrative burden on HR departments, but giving workers more opportunities to choose the hours they work would not only make them feel more valued, but could save employers huge numbers of lost hours – and lost profits too“.