Female workers in Britain are looking for inspiration in the workplace which will allow them to break from traditional expectations, according to new research from telecommunications provider O2.

The research, around flexible working, reveals differences in the working styles of men and women and the things that promote wellbeing and job satisfaction.

Broadly, women place more importance on being inspired by their environment and leaders, while men prioritise tangible benefits like healthcare or contributed pensions.

Women are also keen for their bosses to empower them to work in a new and innovative ways. Over half wanted their boss to make it clear that flexible working would not negatively affect their career (56 percent) and make them feel more trusted to work from (52 percent). Less than half of men reported the same.

Despite this, men are leading on flexible working – 30 percent more men than women say they work outside the traditional nine to five, while a further fifth of men regularly work at home or ‘on the go’ during the day.

Both men and women rated a flexible working policy as the top factor influencing job satisfaction and wellbeing.

Ben Dowd, O2 Business Director, commented: “The digital world offers huge opportunity to suit the demands of different people in the workforce – whether through flexible working policies that empower staff to shape their own working day, to creating an inspiring workplace that breaks down barriers across teams. To create a truly flexible working culture, actions speak louder than words – and employers must lead by example to ensure that every member of staff feels empowered to shape their own definition of the 9 to 5.”