It’s time for some flexibility

Jul 2 2009 by Karen McLauchlan, Evening Gazette

ONLINE search specialist Infoserve is offering a flexible working incentive to attract 20 part-time staff to its Darlington office.

The move is part of plans to more than double headcount at the Leeds-based firm’s Tees Valley operation, which currently employs around 120.

After making an annual loss of £2.89m in the year to June 2008, the company has achieved record sales this year as it prepares to unveil annual results in the next few weeks.

Now bosses are gearing up for further growth by creating new positions for workers who require flexible hours to suit their personal commitments.

Infoserve said it had received several flexitime requests from workers whose partners had either been made redundant or had their working hours reduced.

“We have identified a huge pool of talent out there who can only work during school hours,” sales director Mark Riley said.

“By introducing flexible working we can continue to grow our team.”

Flexible working has become more common as new technology has allowed people to access central networks from remote locations.

On Teesside, it is estimated that around 50,000 workers representing nearly 5% of the working population are now based at or usually work from home - an increase of 56% since 1999.

Business groups say flexible working has become even more common during the recession as firms look to cut costs.

Forty-five per cent of respondents to a recent survey by the Confederation of British Industry and recruitment specialist Harvey Nash said they had increased flexible working among staff to reduce hours and meet employee requests for a work-life balance.