Digital businesses in West Yorkshire ‘twice as inclusive’ as UK average

Adam Beaumont, founder and CEO of aql

A new report on flexible working in West Yorkshire has found that digital businesses in the region offer double the number of flexible jobs than the national average.

According to the report, commissioned by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority in partnership with national flexible working consultancy Timewise, 15% of roles advertised by digital companies in the region were found to be flexible compared to just 7% for the average digital business in the UK.

The report also revealed that the overall number of jobs advertised as flexible across all sectors in West Yorkshire was higher than the UK average, at 13.4% and 11.7% respectively, which the report says “means it is well placed to develop an inclusive labour market that creates opportunities for people who may be unable to take up roles with a more traditional working pattern”.

The region was also reported to have particularly high rates of flexible working in the education and financial and professional services sectors.

Despite these promising figures, the supply of flexible jobs in West Yorkshire – like much of the UK – still lags behind demand from workers. Encouraging more employers to offer opportunities for flexible working could enable more people – particularly women and older people – to progress into more rewarding employment, improving their earning potential and the productivity of businesses, the report said.

Cllr Peter Box, member of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and leader of Wakefield Council, said: “Promoting alternative ways of working is fundamental to creating an inclusive workforce that works for people and businesses alike. By encouraging businesses to provide flexible roles we can shape the employment landscape to work for the people in our region who are unintentionally disadvantaged by care responsibilities or part-time education, and provide our employers with skilled and valuable people.

“Positively, much of the comparative data for the region sees us ahead of the UK average on flexible working. Nonetheless, the recommendations in this report are an important and collective call to action for the public and private sectors to help our businesses maximise the potential of groups that are often overlooked in the labour market.”

Leeds-based telecommunications firm aql is one digital business that says it has seen the benefits of flexible working.

Prof. Adam Beaumont, founder and CEO of aql and a member of the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) board, said: “We’re innovative and flexible in the services we offer our customers and carry that same ethos through to how we treat our team. It wouldn’t make much sense for us to be totally wedded to a traditional 9-5 and miss out on the brilliant people for whom, for whatever reason, that doesn’t work. Put simply, being open to flexible working arrangements helps us recruit and keep the best people and our people are what make us great.

“Digital is one of the fastest growing sectors in Leeds City Region and the fact that technology businesses are taking such a progressive approach to flexible working in our region is good news for both employees and employers. It helps create more opportunities for people for whom a traditional working pattern might not be suitable to develop an exciting and rewarding career, and makes it easier for businesses to attract talented workers whose skills are much in demand.”

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