Is it time for flexible working to end the nine-to-five?

If you’re an employer, you may be concerned that offering staff the chance to work from home could lead to a drop in productivity – but for many employees, the exact opposite is true and some feel the need to get away from the office to concentrate on their work.

A FlexJobs survey of over 2,600 employees found more than three-quarters (76%) of respondents get out of the office when they have to focus on important projects.

And of those who do prefer to work in the office, many would sooner work there out of the traditional nine-to-five office hours.

So is it time to end the nine-to-five?

Home or office?

The FlexJobs survey found fewer than a quarter (21%) of respondents preferred to work during standard office hours and in a standard office work space, half (50%) stated their own home was best for productivity, while just over one-in-ten (12%) favoured a coffee shop or a co-working space.

And 14% would actually prefer to go to the office, but outside of the normal nine-to-five hours.

So it seems the traditional office space and office hours are no longer what workers need  -so why do people say they’re more productive when working from home?

Top 5 reasons people are more productive when working from home

1. Fewer interruptions from colleagues (76%)
2. Fewer distractions (74%)
3. Minimal office politics (71%)
4. Reduced stress from commuting (68%)
5. More comfortable office environment (65%)

Saving time and money

The survey found saving time outranked saving money when it came to reasons for wanting to work from home, but it’s no secret that telecommuting not only saves employees time and money, it can also save employers as much as £6,000 per year.

Top 4 ways employers can benefit from flexible working

1. 30% would take a 10% to 20% cut in pay.
2. 24% would forego holidays.
3. 18% said would forfeit up employer-matched retirement contributions.
4. 82% would be more loyal to their employers if they had flexible work options.

And as more and more people are valuing good health as much as a good income, a good work-life balance is proving to be the main draw when it comes to flexible working.

Top 4 reasons for wanting flexible working

1. Work-life balance (81%)
2. Family (56%)
3. Time savings (56%)
4. Commute stress (48%)

So could this signal the death-knell for the nine-to-five? Let us know your thoughts…