Many of the UK’s business bosses have not yet fully adjusted to having a home-based workforce, a new report has suggested.
Research commissioned by City & Guilds and the Institute of Leadership and Management shows that around 37 per cent of managers in the UK have teams of staff who are rarely in the office, but concludes that many are not yet entirely comfortable with the practice.
Indeed, while 73 per cent of managers polled said flexible working was common within their company, only a quarter had been trained to handle home-based staff working for them, reports the Scotsman.
Chris Humphries, director general of City & Guilds, is quoted as saying: "Our research shows that bosses are highly sympathetic to the notion of flexible working, but in practice find it difficult to break the mindset of presenteeism."
"The UK’s professional culture is still built on long hours – if you’re visible, you’re accountable. In reality, this means we reward people who take a long time to get the job done, rather than those who do it most effectively."
A report from the Equal Opportunities Commission last week claimed women remain more likely than men to get the chance to work under flexible circumstances in the UK.
