IT contractors who are given more flexible working patterns can experience better health, a leading organisation has suggested.

A spokesman for the Trades Union Congress has claimed that this will reduce both stress and absentee levels and boost retention and productivity.

He says that allowing IT contractors to work from home can also have other benefits, like allowing the firm to save on rents and energy costs.

"While not every model suits every company, the rapid growth of flexible working over the last decade shows that it can be implemented into all kinds of businesses," he asserts.

The representative highlighted the health benefits that IT contractors given these opportunities enjoy, with a better work-life balance being one way of enhancing time spent with loved ones.

Recent research by Durham University found that flexible working arrangements boosted health, including systolic blood pressure and heart rate, tiredness, sleep quality and self-rated health status.