Flexible working from IT contractors and other employees can help companies meet their business needs, according to a business development body.

Proposals from the government to make most jobs available to flexible working are a "positive step" for business, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).

Earlier this week, The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) vowed to make all public sector jobs available to flexible and part-time workers unless there was a specific reason why they should not be.

The DWP also announced it would try and persuade the private sector to take a similar approach.

Reacting to the news, the senior public policy advisor at the CIPD, Ben Willmot, said the move was a good one.

"The important thing is the business case - there is a strong business case behind providing flexibility for employees in terms of recruitment and retention," he said.

In a recent study by The Wolfson Research Institute at Durham University, flexible working was found to improve employee health and well-being, with no negative health effects recorded.