Business shows 'bigger is better' when it comes to flexible staff conditions

By Sarah Michael LARGER firms prove bigger is better when it comes to flexible conditions, according to the latest figures.

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BIG business is better at offering workers flexible conditions than the nation's smaller operators, according to latest figures.

The report from the Australian Bureau of Statistics found businesses employing 200 or more were better equipped to let staff pick their own shifts, take leave without pay or work from home.

They also offered better parental leave and greater flexibility with sick leave.

The Business Structure and Arrangements survey showed that in 2009-10 just 3.5 per cent of businesses overall gave employees paid parental leave compared with 42 per cent of our bigger companies.

It showed 60 per cent of big businesses allowed staff to work from home, compared with 19 per cent of businesses with less than 20 employees.

Larger companies were also four times more likely to let workers use their sick days to care for others than businesses with less than five staff.

Council of Small Business of Australia head Peter Strong said larger companies were better resourced and could offer the flexible conditions.

“In small business if there’s only two or three staff and someone’s away it’s very hard to continue doing the work,” Mr Strong said.

“There’s not many small businesses that will pay parental leave out of their own pocket, because if there’s only three in one job and you’ve got to get a replacement for one person that increases your wages bill by 25 per cent.” 

HR manager at Mirvac Hotels - a finalist in the Federal Government’s Work-Life Balance Awards - Brad Moore said flexibility was needed to keep industry talent.

“We believe that the more that we have flexible options, the more likely we’re going to be able to get the best people at every level to come join Mirvac,” Mr Moore said.

Law firm Allens Arthur Robinson launched its flexibility program in 2008 after a survey showed their employees wanted more options.

Flexibility and diversity head Jacqui Abbott  said employers needed to cater for the range of transitions at different times of a worker’s life.

“We have lots of forms of flexibility and not all of it is working less than full time - it’s when, where, and how you work,” Ms Abbott said.

The ABS survey also found profits and customer satisfaction were the most important things businesses considered when assessing their overall performance.

Just 12.7 per cent of companies considered job satisfaction and skills development to a "major extent" when they judged their performance, with 30 per cent reporting they do not take it into account at all.