Low paid workers 'miss out on flexible working'

Flexible working may be popular with some companies, but research shows that less well paid employees are the least likely to have this option available to them.

The report, by the charity Working Families, found that parents earning over £70,000 a year are more likely (47%) to work flexibly than those who earn between £10,000 and £40,000 - according to BBC News.

The research – based on a poll of 1,000 working parents – also found that most of them worked over their contractual hours, with a quarter putting in at least five unpaid hours extra a week.

The Confederation of British Industry argues that employers that don’t offer flexible working are missing out. It says "offering jobs at every level on a flexible basis will help companies to recruit and retain the people and skills that are needed to compete."