More than half of employees in the UK (58%) say their firm has no flexible working policy and only 22% believe they work for a company with a solid flexi-time arrangement.

Research from Monster shows the UK is lagging behind the rest of Europe when it comes to flexible working arrangements: 17% of 1,078 employees surveyed said only certain members of staff in their organisation are allowed to work flexibly; and 3% envisage the option to work flexibly to become available soon.

The findings come only a week after new government legislation allowed an additional 4.5 million working parents of children aged 16 or under the right to request flexible working.