Offering flexible working may be a good employee benefit scheme to improve staff retention.

Dr Graeme Codrington, futurist at Tomorrowtoday.uk.com, explained different age groups now entering the labour market are likely to be attracted to the option to conduct their duties away from the office.

While generation Y, which includes younger people in the workforce, prefers the idea of taking on roles remotely, generation X may not have much choice in the matter, the specialist stated.

This group – now middle-aged – is bogged down with family and personal commitments and stresses, he continued, so they may need to be able to put in their hours on a flexible basis.

Meanwhile, another demographic may be on the rise – and one that could be seen as a less likely suspect to enjoy remote working.

Baby Boomers, who are now in their 50s and 60s, may not be able to retire at the age they had planned, but Dr Codrington does not think they will all be marching on the streets to change this.

Some people in this age group will get bored of being without a job to do and they will be coming back to the workplace in the form of consultants, he stated, which could mean a part-time, flexible role.

Not only are Baby Boomers able to learn remote working, they are also going to enjoy it, the specialist said, adding further demand for such types of employee benefits.

“Flexibility has been a consistent top-rated engagement policy in research for at least the last decade, so anything employers can do to increase flexibility will gain rewards in engagement and staff retention,” Dr Codrington noted.

Risk insurer Ellipse recently suggested businesses should try offering flexible working conditions to improve absence management, while making sure communication with staff members is clear and proactive was also encouraged.