Employees’ work-life balance has never been under so much pressure with some people undertaking mobile working and others hot desking, while some find there simply aren’t enough hours in the day.
A new study has found that it is female bosses who are most likely to turn a blind eye to staff undertaking personal errands as opposed to their male counterparts.
Carried out by Vodafone, the research found that out of 1,000 bosses who were interviewed it was the female ones who were the most understanding.
The only stipulation seemed to be that as long as productivity did not suffer and the employees didn’t fall behind on their workload.
Flexible working is a phenomenon that more and more staff across the country are taking part in as hectic schedules blur the lines between home and working hours.
In the study seven out of ten respondents said they thought the traditional work pattern of nine ’til five is dying out, as smartphones become more prevalent.
More male bosses admitted to telling staff off about allowing personal issues and tasks into the workplace, where as women were more sympathetic.
Staff seem to offset work they do in their spare time with the chance to catch up on personal tasks when their workday allows them to do so.
Obtusely, male bosses were more likely to allow staff to make a call to their mums and more women considered work colleagues friends.
A new consortium was set up by the government earlier this month in order to enhance practices associated with flexible working.
Peter Kelly from Vodafone UK said: “What this research shows is that a cultural shift has started. For many people in the UK, the way we work is changing. Britain’s bosses are realising that successful businesses must focus on generating results, not on monitoring what employees do at their desks.”
