Codestone

Category: Workforce mobility

Flexible working practices can be of great benefit for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), it has been suggested.

The statement was made by Jim Blakemore, co-founder of Bikeworks - an organisation that uses cycling to help combat environmental, social and economic challenges in London.

He noted remote access employment - which can be realised through software such as Citrix Access Gateway - is an important tool for smaller firms that are not sure how well they are going to handle the continuing uncertainty of the economic climate.

The industry figure observed: "Being able to offer part-time or flexible working is great for any small business, where predicting future growth is not an exact science."

Many different people are able to be employed through the system, including mothers, he added.

The Office for National Statistics recently revealed the amount of part-time workers in the UK rose by 115,000 between April and June this year, taking the total to 7.84 million.

Posted by Lara Ward