Flexible jobsMore and more employers in the United Kingdom are offering their workers flexible jobs in an effort to reduce costs.

The “2010 IRS Flexible Working Survey” from XpertHR found that offering flexible working policies has helped one-fifth of organizations avoid redundancies, two-thirds of employers cut costs and a similar number of companies reduce the number of job cuts.

Overall, the study of 162 organizations found that one-fourth have used or plan to use flexible working situations to reduce job losses. XpertHR Employment Editor Charlotte Wolff said the research includes many interesting examples of how employers are using flexible jobs to cut costs.

“For instance, two councils have specifically expanded the use of homeworking, mobile working and hot-desking, so they can reduce the number of workstations they need,” she said. “The aim at one of these public sector organizations is to achieve a ratio of three employees to two desks, thereby reducing the amount of accommodation they need and allowing them to release some capital.”

Of the 33 companies that have already implemented a flexible working schedule in order to cut costs, the most common method is reducing hours, followed by temporarily reducing hours at 22 companies, unpaid sabbaticals at 18 organizations and job-sharing schemes at 16 companies.

Although the majority of these plans – 84 percent – are voluntary, 12 percent are required by employers. Some other cost-cutting arrangements include an 18-month job-sharing scheme, reduced work weeks and the promotion of “holiday purchase” at one large company.

When it comes to various industries, those in the public sector have not done as well as those in other sectors at using flexible jobs to reduce costs. Only 9 percent of public sector organizations have done so, compared to 26 percent of manufacturing and production companies and 24 percent of other private sector companies.

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