Flexi-time works for small business

by Catherine Woods - Monday, 28th April 2008 -

T-Enterprise co-founder Zarrar Chishti says the bigger the software and games development firm gets, the less likely it will be able to offer the flexible working conditions its employees currently take advantage of.

The Glasgow-based company has a workforce of eight and, for the past two to three years, has had a flexi-time system in place so that when employees are working around-the-clock to meet a deadline, they can have other days off to compensate.

If staffers prefer to work, say, every Sunday but want to take each Wednesday off, they can do that too.

Chishti says: “At one point, we had a team of 16 or 17 and we couldn’t have such a flexible culture. It had to be extremely rigid to make sure everything was on time and worked.

"We think the company works better small. It means we can be slightly selective as well when it comes to what contracts we take.”

However, that’s not to say T-Enterprise will never grow. It had its moment in the spotlight last month after developing a viral game based on the troubles at Heathrow Terminal 5 and Chishti says that resulted in “a phenomenal number of enquiries from companies including from blue chips”. He adds: “We’re arranging meetings with them now and seeing where it leads to.”

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