Press & PR

Companies may find that they are more successful in recruiting or retaining staff if they offer flexible working, it has been suggested.

Small and medium-sized firms often struggle to compete with large multinational firms in the job market, but offering their employees the freedom to work from home may give them an edge, according to Lynette Swift, managing director of flexible working specialist Swiftwork.

"Flexibility is definitely an advantage to small businesses in recruiting or retaining staff," she said.

"Many women would not be able to return to work after maternity or to remain in work if they were not offered flexibility.

"Flexibility enables small business to retain their key staff who have valued knowledge and skills," she added.

Ms Swift also noted that the aging population in the UK could mean that growing numbers of staff members need to look after elderly relatives, which could be made easier by having flexible working opportunities.


Flexible working is often linked with VoIP services that allow workers to keep in touch with the office's phone systems cheaply.

Companies can provide their employees with special phone adaptor to plug into a broadband connection - allowing them to make free calls to the UK and Ireland using their own touchtone phone for just £5.99 per month with low cost call provider Vonage.