Over 3,000 employees were studied, on behalf of phone maker Avaya. They found that flexible workers can save 39 working days a year by not commuting.  They told researchers they spent the extra time with their families (in 56 per cent of cases), relaxing (45 per cent) or attending appointments they’d usually do in work hours (42 per cent). Or indeed, talking to researchers who phoned them at home.

One in five people used the extra hours to put in more work, while a quarter fitted some exercise into their weekly schedule.

Avaya claimed today that the Government's new flexible working legislation will have a positive effect on family life in the UK. However, the effect of flexible time on incidents of marital infidelity was not measured.

Michael Bayer, president of field operations at Avaya, warned that the figures could shock unprepared employers, as 69 per cent of working parents are not currently working on a flexible basis, and could insist on being allowed to work in this way.

The reduction in commuting could have a massively positive social impact, he said. But it is the financial consequences Bayer found most interesting. “The effect of increased productivity and the extra time spent working by a dedicated one fifth of employees could have a profound impact on European businesses. Extrapolate this up to the level of the economy and you can imagine flexible working as a turbo-charge for productivity across the region," said Bayer.

 

FACTS

(Based on an average of 232 working days a year, across Europe and assuming a working day of seven hours)

*  96% of flexible workers have more time because they no longer have to commute

*  Average time saved by not commuting is 70 minutes - flexible
working could save 39 working days each year for every worker*

*  21% use time freed up from commuting to do more work while 56% spend it with their families

* 9% of workers currently do not have to commute

* 19 % of those who do work flexibly do it five days a week, with another 16% working flexibly 'as and when'

* More part-time employees work flexibly than those in full-time

jobs: 75% compared with 64%

* 90% of those who are semi-retired work in this way

* Currently 27% of workers are happy to work whilst commuting, if they have the capability


For the purposes of this survey, flexible working was defined as a situation in which employees are not expected to work during set hours or from their desks but are instead able to set their own flexible working hours and to work from the location they choose.