Flexible and part time working are still a challenge for most SMEs, research finds

Flexible and part time working are among the most important challenges British SMEs are currently facing in terms of recruiting high-skilled women, new research into the challenges faced by working women and their employers has been able to suggest.

The first ever ‘Women in Business’ survey was led by Denise Friend, founder of Friend Partnership, with support from Sarah Evans OBE, an educational commentator and former Principal of King Edward VI High School for Girls, Birmingham, with additional support from a number of national and Midlands organisations including Page Group and NatWest.

Almost 800 women aged between 21 and 95 took part in the survey, which has delivered unique insights into the changing face of the workplace for women over multi-generations. Participants included business owners, the self-employed, senior executives, middle management employees and retirees, who shared their experiences and views.

In the research, 85 percent of business owners say they recognise that flexible working conditions are needed if they are to recruit and retain skilled female workers to their organisation. Furthermore, at least 83 percent of women in each age bracket believe businesses must offer flexible working conditions to attract high-performing females, but 73 percent of business owners say it is difficult to work part time in a senior role.

Tensor Time and Attendance System offers extensive options for the management of flexible working hours

Tensor plc supplies an extensive range of workforce management solutions that cater for all the requirements of the modern workplace, including flexible working.

The system can supply working rules for a variety of purposes, from simple determination of overtime by the number of daily hours worked, to the more complex payment of overtime hours adjusted when periodic targets are not met. The system also contains special rules to accommodate the formal flexitime contracts worked by many public sector employees. Workers paid on an annual contract basis can receive reports stating how many contracted hours they have yet to work.

Additionally, our top-range WinTA suite features an On-line Self Service module that allows staff to clock IN or OUT, check hours, request leave + other functions via internet, mobile or other communications.

Furthermore, with the Telephone Clocking module, staff can call in from remote locations to clock IN or OUT or review their flexitime balance or remaining holiday entitlement. After entry of their pass code, an automated, spoken menu guides employees to the option they require. If you’d like to find out more about the range of workforce management and Time and Attendance solutions supplied by Tensor and just how we can help your company implement thorough and reliable flexible working arrangements, just contact us or Book a Demo.