Mitrefinch Australia offers a few insights on the flexible work scenario in Australia based on recently published research.

Most Australian workers favour working remotely about 30 per cent of the time.

Both finalists in the recently announced 2015 Women in Industry Awards category of ‘Employer of the Year’ offer flexible working options as a benefit.

A Randstad report of 2014 reveals that 41 per cent of Australian employers believe employee engagement and satisfaction get a boost from flexible work options, and 27 per cent think flexible working assists in attracting and retaining top talent.

An Executive Women Australia report reveals that about 43 per cent of Australian women in the workforce work part-time. Another report by Ernst & Young says women working part-time are the most productive in the workforce.

However, Australian employers are mostly not in favour of offering flexible working options to their employees, with more than three quarters of local workers saying they are currently unable to work remotely.

Lastly, the current generation is twice as likely as the previous generation to worry about the negative impact of flexible working on their career prospects. Over 50 per cent of bosses, according to a Robert Walters survey, were concerned about the prospect of not being able to treat all employees equally in a flexible working situation.

Companies considering the introduction of flexible work practices at their workplace will need the right tools to make flexible work arrangements. Mitrefinch's mobile workforce applications allow supervisors and employees to improve productivity by making it easier to complete a wide range of work related and administrative tasks from any location, at any time. For instance, employees can utilise their mobile devices to clock in/out or on/off specific jobs from remote work sites, request leave, and review their work information in real time.