KEY POINTS:
Small and medium business owners overwhelmingly support flexible working hours for their workers but don't want the Government to make that flexibility mandatory.
The Mood of the Boardroom survey reveals that more than 85 per cent of SMEs agree with flexible working hours "when possible'', though only about one in five has a written policy on flexibility. Asked if flexibility should be mandatory or voluntary, 98.5 per cent opted for the latter.
The results reflect a similar survey by the Equal Employment Opportunities Trust, which showed that workers, especially men, wanted to spend more quality time with families - something they could achieve with flexible working hours.
"Accommodating the new breed of parents in the workplace and developing family-friendly initiatives is as much about staff retention and morale as it is about being a good employer,'' the EEO Trust said.
But SMEs don't want the Government to become involved in the debate. Already the state provides up to 14 weeks' paid parental leave to new mothers or their partners and the Labour Department is co-ordinating a work-life balance project which, some employers fear, could lead to legislation for flexible working hours.
In reality, employers are starting to adopt flexible hours out of self-interest when they can be shown it leads to lower absenteeism and higher productivity.
