Flexible Working On The Increase
Despite a requirement by some employers for their staff to return to working in the office, the number of job adverts with flexible working involved has increased by 62% compared with this time last year according to a new survey by Flexa.
A number of high profile companies have recently moved to try and increase the amount of time spent in the office by their staff, with a reduction in flexible working. Back in February, for instance, Dell decided to categorise its workers as either being hybrid or remote. Whereas hybrid workers would be required to attend the office on at least 39 days per quarter (which equates to 3 days a week), those who don't will be classified as remote workers and will no longer be considered for promotion or a change of role
Meanwhile, Boots has demanded that its support staff return to working a full 5 day working week in the office from this September, with its CEO stating: "I think that you will agree that the office is a much more fun and inspiring place on those days. There is no doubt in my mind that the informal conversations, brief catch-ups and ability to meet in groups in person has been far more effective – and better for our unique Boots culture than the enforced formality of remote meetings. I know that has been true for me."
Furthermore, according to CNN, IBM "is pushing for an end to remote work, telling US-based managers to immediately report in-person or exit their role, according to an internal January 16th memo from senior vice president John Granger. Executives and managers will now be expected to be in-person at least three days a week, and remote workers living more than 50 miles from an office have until August to relocate closer."
Nevertheless, despite the attempts by some to get their staff back into the office, the new survey by Flexa found that:-
- Compared to the first quarter of 2023, during the first quarter of 2024 there were 62% more jobs being advertised involving flexible working
- The number of job seekers searching for "fully remote" vacancies increased from 47% to 52% over the same period. Moreover, 42% of job seekers sought "remote-first" roles. What this highlights is that whilst there are some employers now issuing return to office (RTO) mandates, it is completely at odds with the growing preference of workers for flexible working. Accordingly, those employers who have been issuing RTO mandates may end up finding it more difficult to recruit compared to those who are prepared to embrace flexible working for the long term. That is, those who look to accommodate flexible working are likely to end up with a competitive edge over those who don't.
Commenting upon the findings of the new survey on flexible working, the CEO of Flexa, Molly Johnson-Jones, stated: "The employer-led labour market and RTO-era is shining a light on what employees really want. And whilst many are willing to let more novel forms of flexibility slide (including "work from anywhere" schemes and unlimited annual leave), job seekers' non-negotiable criteria for new roles is telling."
Johnson-Jones added: "Employees are right to hold out for core flexible working benefits (like fully remote and remote-first roles, and enhanced parental leave) that they won't compromise on. The alternative risks employers and employees losing out if individuals find themselves in roles that don't offer the working environments they need to be happy and productive. Many employers already know this. It's because of these true flexible working champions that the future is still bright for flexible job hunters, and that flexible job vacancies are continuing to grow in number in spite of wider market forces."
Increase In Cyber Attacks On Businesses
The Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2024 has been released and the new data shows that the number of businesses who have suffered a cyber attack in the previous 12 months increased from 39% in 2022 to 50% in 2023. Moreover, the figures were much higher for large (74%) and medium-sized (70%) businesses. 32% of charities also reported cyber attacks.
Furthermore, the CEO of the Connectus Group, Roy Shelton, argues that the figures may represent just the "tip of the iceberg". He states: "Attacks are rising and getting more and more sophisticated. Those reported are just the tip of the iceberg. A lot more happen and exist under the radar and are never reported. All businesses need to be vigilant to the growing risk."
