Spencer Roach: Flexible working key to reducing staff stress

I was interested to read The Big Question in September’s issue, particularly the figures quoted by [Telefonica’s] James Kirkland highlighting that a relatively small change in the work model can have a big environmental and commercial impact.

I read the average UK worker spends 200 hours commuting each year, so at 52% that would potentially be an extra 100 hours of productivity.

Clearly, the practicalities of formalising flexible working vaires by industry sector, but in my organisation, I see a growing number of roles with an international remit. For some, that might mean early morning meetings with Asia Pacific and late evenings meetings with the US. Technology means the demands of our jobs have changed and so the way we work also needs to change.

Reducing stress needs to be part of an effective wellbeing strategy, which may include promoting a more active lifestyle, a healthy diet, and analysing the work-related causes of stress within an organisation, and I am sure increased flexibility for staff is a key piece of the puzzle.

Spencer Roach is compensation and benefits manager international at Nuance Communications