Flexible working was the main topic of discussion at this morning’s Beckenham Business Association event, hosted by Kelsey House, on the High Street.

Our guest speaker, Jane Knight of Successful Mums who helps mums back into work through careers advice, training and access to employer networks, spoke about how she is championing flexibility in the workplace because it benefits both employees and businesses alike.

Jane told the audience of local businesses how flexible working can help mums and others who’ve had a career break because it allows them to fit work around other commitments like school runs, as well as helping them re-adjust to the working world and boosting their confidence.

Similarly, Jane explained how businesses can also benefit by having a happy and motivated workforce with a good work/life balance. Those looking to expand can take on part-time staff if they’re not quite ready for full-timers and being flexible also means being able to provide a service outside of the traditional 9-5 hours.

“We’re increasingly a 24/7 society,” said Jane, “so being able to offer flexible hours to those who want to fit work around childcare and other commitments, means a business can more easily meet the demands of its customers.”