Female accountants seek flexible hours...

Flexible working is important to the job satisfaction of almost two-thirds of all female chartered accountants, an expert has claimed.

A new survey by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and finance recruitment specialist Robert Half, has discovered that only four in 10 men say it is important to them and around three-quarters of all associate chartered accountants are happy with the flexibility offered, it has been reported.

Accountancy Magazine says the survey found 13% of accountants have rejected jobs as they were dissatisfied with the new employer’s policy on flexible working.

It discovered that more than half of the chartered accountants who had flexible working hours had also sought help with childcare.

Robert Half Finance & Accounting Managing Director Phil Sheridan told Accountancy Magazine: “’In today’s skilled-candidate-short market it is imperative that employers look carefully at the benefit packages they offer their staff, whether male or female, to ensure they do not lose this valuable talent pool.”

The government has introduced a statutory right to help some employees seek flexible hours.

Parents and guardians of a child under six or a disabled child under 18, or those caring for someone living with them have the right to ask for flexible hours, providing they have worked 26 continuous weeks for that employer.