Techies do not believe IT industry has adapted to flexible working

Research conducted by online recruitment specialist www.theitjobboard.co.uk reveals that although 61.1 per cent of IT professionals work flexible hours, almost half (45.2 per cent) of them do not believe the IT industry has adapted itself to a flexible working culture. Flexible working was classified as working from home, working part-time, flexi-time and working a four and a half day week.

Nearly one-fifth (17.4 per cent) went as far as saying they felt flexible working had a negative effect on their career progression, with several respondents believing that employers saw them as less committed to their job because they were not in the office for the standard working day. In addition, 22.6 per cent had considered going back to work on a non-flexible basis because of the constraints imposed on them by this way of working.

Of the 38.9 per cent of respondents that did not work flexible hours, over four-fifths (81.5 per cent) were not offered the option by their employer, despite 90.2 per cent saying they would like the choice to do so. A total of 65.4 per cent felt their work-life balance suffered through non-flexible working conditions.

Currently, only parents with children under six or disabled are entitled to request flexible working. However, in May this year the Government announced plans to extend flexible working rights to all parents with children under the age of 16, a move which will give an extra 4.5 million people the right to request flexible hours.