“What do you want flexible working for anyway?” asked one boss incredulously, unable to fathom my motives. Actually, at the time, with stress-induced insomnia, any reprieve from the long-hours office culture would have been transformative for both my wellbeing and productivity. Professor Sharon Clarke and Dr Lynn Holdsworth of Alliance Manchester Business School find a direct correlation between flexible working and reduced occupational stress. In their 2017 report Flexibility in the Workplace: Implications of flexible work arrangements for individuals, teams and organisations, they discover that the upshot is more motivated, committed and productive staff and enhanced organisational effectiveness. • Caroline Bullock is a business writer with a focus on workplace and business culture

Source: The Guardian April 16, 2019 15:35 UTC