Make flexibility work for everyone

● The days of working strictly 9 to 5 are well over. Technology means we can work any time, anywhere, and more people are demanding a more flexible work life.

Not all companies have been eager to embrace these changes, but Paul Burrin, the vice-president of Sage People, says making employees happier by allowing them to control their work schedule is good for companies, too.

He has this advice:

● The lines between work and home have become blurred. Many jobs that had to be done at a particular place can now be done from your kitchen table or local coffee shop. Modern work responsibilities often require staff to interact with more people in different time zones. As a result, constraints on how, where and when we work should be updated to reflect this cultural shift.

● Companies are battling to attract and keep skilled employees, which means workers can be more selective, and firms offering more flexible working hours will be better at keeping their superstars.

● Trusting employees to be productive from a remote location is more likely to make them trustworthy than watching them from across the office. — Margaret Harris