Flexible working key to productivity

British companies are damaging productivity and creativity by forcing staff to work long and rigid hours and ignoring requests for flexible working conditions, according to new research.

The results of the Corel survey carried out by Dynamic Markets found staff satisfaction and, so the argument follows, productivity can be boosted by allowing workers to structure their own day to ensure they perform tasks when they feel most creative.

Just 16 per cent of younger staff aged between 16 and 24, who are most likely to let off steam after a hard day's brainstorming by hitting the bars in town, feel at their most creative in the morning. This compares to almost a third of 25 to 44 year-olds who, it would seem, prefer a cup of Horlicks and an early night.

As the fog of the morning's hangover starts to lift, the younger workers then become more productive and almost half of the 16 to 24 year-olds said they felt more creative in the evenings.

Clare Shephard, spokeswoman for Corel, said the research highlights a serious point about the need for businesses, especially those with creative staff, to adopt a flexible approach to get the most out of them.

She said: "If you have a young, creative team then maybe brainstorming sessions in the evening would be more productive. Or maybe get a good mix of age groups so there are people being at their best throughout the whole day."

Employers should also consider introducing tests as part of the recruitment process to find out when potential new staff are likely to be at their most productive in the working day, she said.

The stresses and strains of the modern office are increasing and a recent survey by IT services and training company Parity found over two-thirds of staff are feeling the strain. Flexible working hours and teleworking are possible solutions businesses need to look at, according to Parity.