The research and evidence is stacking up.

Studies show that employees who have access to flexibility are more productive, have fewer sick days, greater staff retention and crucially are more engaged in the workplace. Research by Deloitte indicates these employees are a third more committed to the company; while a study by Vodafone points to an increase in profits for companies that embrace flexible working.

Research in recent years demonstrates a positive relationship between flexible working and productivity. One study (using data from an IBM survey) found that individuals who felt they had workplace flexibility were able to work longer hours – up to an additional day each week.

The Institute of Leadership & Management have written an article called “Flexible Working: Goodbye Nine to Five”. It quotes a study by Stanford University which showed a marked rise in the productivity of staff working from home - they had a 13% performance increase, were off sick less and answered more calls per minute than their office based colleagues. The article goes on to say that 82% of managers think flexible working is beneficial to their business – with improvements in productivity, commitment and retention of staff.