Employers are facing serious disruption to traditional working practices - the 9-5 working hours, the grey partitions and MDF desks, synonymous with hit BBC series The Office, are now becoming as defunct as the fax machine – and equally missed.

As more millennials enter the workplace, they bring with them a fresh perspective of what working life can mean and the importance of managing the work and social life balance.

A key part of this growing need for balance is the idea of flexible working, which 67% of employees wish they were offered¹, as it is seen as a simple solution to improving their work-life balance, as well as assisting with their health and wellbeing.

Flexible working is a way of working that suits an employee’s needs, for example having flexible start and finish times, or the opportunity to work from home. All employees have the legal right to request flexible working - not just parents and carers.

Other types of flexible working that can be considered are:

• Job sharing
• Annualised hours
• Part time
• Compressed hours
• Flexi time
• Staggered hours

One of the big benefits of flexible working is the reduction in time and cost spent commuting. With 45% of people spending over an hour commuting² each day and rail fares in some cases costing the British commuter 14% of their salary³, it’s understandable that more and more workers see flexible working as the answer to their office-life woes.

Flexible working isn’t just an advantage for commuting employees however, a reduction in travel time can actually result in longer service hours for employers. Remote workers have been found to be almost twice as likely to go beyond 40 hours a week⁴ which is thought to be a result of the lack of travel time.

The other benefit flexible working offers to employers is the improvement in employee effectiveness, meaning workers can accomplish far more during working hours. 91% of remote workers feel they get more done when they work at, or near, home⁵, in comparison to an office environment. This style of working also helps to reduce absenteeism, enhance employee engagement and build staff loyalty – ultimately helping to reduce staff turnover and retain valued and experienced staff.

We also know from research that staff can often value flexibility over other more traditional forms like remuneration, so there’s a positive financial implication for organisations to consider too.

Finally, the introduction of flexible working can also increase the potential talent pool for companies by attracting talented job seekers, who may not be able to work normal contracted hours.

A recent report by the Government Equalities Office suggests there are 1.2 million potential returners in the UK⁶ - 90% of whom are unable to work the traditional 9-5 due to caring responsibilities. If more employers considered offering flexible working, this number could not only be dramatically reduced, but the UK economic output could be increased by £1.7billion⁷.