Flexible Working 'Could Aid Employee Health'

UK employers could boost the wellbeing of their workers by allowing them to use flexi-time to manage their work-life balance more effectively, it has been claimed.

A spokesman from the Trade Unions Congress press office said flexible working patterns could allow people to get less stressed about their jobs, which in turn could have a positive impact on other areas of their lives.

He commented: "By giving staff a better work-life balance, flexible working can benefit businesses by improving staff retention and productivity, while reducing stress and absence levels."

According to a study by the Wolfson Research Institute based at Durham University, a review of more than 16,000 people has found that employees enjoy better health when their working hours are flexible.

It examined the health and wellbeing effects of flexible working arrangements which favour the worker as well as those dictated by the employer.