Research by UC EXPO has revealed an increased percentage, on last year, of workers recognising the benefits of flexible working, with a majority 90 percent believing it to be essential for maintaining a better work/life balance.

The survey was conducted among 1000 UK-based office workers and interviews were conducted online by Censuswide in January 2016. Research revealed a number of key issues within UK businesses, reporting that those not offering flexible working, something that is a legal right, will struggle to attract and retain top talent.

Of those surveyed 22 percent had worked from home or remotely more throughout 2015 than 2014 with 27 percent now working more regularly outside the office. Happiness was cited as the main benefit with 88 percent believing staff would be happier overall.

Bradley Maule-ffinch, Director of Strategy for UC EXPO said, “with a growing workforce of digital natives – not to mention multiple obstacles such as travel strikes in cities such as London – it’s not surprising that people favour a flexible approach to their work. Employers need to keep up with their staff’s technology and working preferences in order to retain them.”

The future for office workers may be due revamp with 29 percent of Brits already working flexible hours, productivity concerns around working from home decreasing, and 68 percent believing new collaboration and remote working technologies will eventually substitute office working.

This means that employers will need to change but with 39 percent (down from 50 percent last year) of employees still not aware they had the right to request flexible working, it remains a working progress.

The annual UC EXPO will take place this year at London’s Olympia will showcase the benefits of unified communications for both workers and employers, showing how to better connect staff globally and allow for remote working.