The appeal of flexible working hours and a healthy level of recognition in the workplace do more to motivate workers than purely financial incentives such as pension schemes.
This is the conclusion of a recent report that found 60 per cent of respondents highlighting flexible working as a more attractive prospect than fiscal benefits.
For smaller businesses in particular this suggests that efforts to make flexible working available can reap strong business benefits, as these firms are less likely to be able to offer a full benefits package including pensions, for example.
The survey found that less than a quarter (22 per cent) of employees would prefer a bonus while 14 per cent cited a pension or healthcare as most desirable.
"Workers expect a certain level of benefits, but they are not drawn to jobs purely for financial add-ons such as retail vouchers," commented Alan Townsend, chief operations officer of Monster UK and Ireland, which conducted the survey.
Working parents are legally entitled to request some flexible working under the terms of the Employment Act 2002.
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