Flexible benefits ''made more accessible by widespread internet access''

Flexible benefits such as homeworking have been made easier by the widespread rollout of decent broadband speeds.

According to the UK Online Measurement Company (UOMC), getting online at home is easier and thus has "become a part of more people''s working lives".

In-house research carried out earlier this year found there has been a 1.9 million increase year-on-year in people getting online in Britain.

The fact that many of these are in the over-50 bracket means that the web is no longer just for the "young and technical literati", the study stated.

Commenting on the findings, UOMC general manager James Smythe remarked: "Widespread access to decent broadband speeds means that the internet is getting better at making people''s lives easier."

Last month, the Federation of Small Businesses suggested flexible benefits such as personally-tailored hours or telecommuting "makes sense" for many firms.

However, spokesperson Stephen Alambritis added that a one-size-fits-all approach is not always workable and can only be used for certain roles, such as desk jobs. Back