You employ “working mums” on a part-time basis…tick! You have a flexi-time arrangement…tick! You even allow working from home on occasion. But how open is your business to true flexibility for your people, allowing them a life around work?

Do you panic at the thought of a formal flexible working request? Feel it might open the floodgates to all and sundry wanting flexibility, meanwhile you’re trying to run your business with some semblance of structure?

There are many businesses, particularly (I’m pleased to report) ones local to the Norwich area, who have embraced a different way of working, where a long-hours culture and ‘presenteeism’ have been replaced with a more results-focused workplace. Rest and play are valued and encouraged just as much as work and are believed to play a significant part in the holistic wellbeing of staff. The end result being optimum outputs, an obvious benefit for the business.

The Swedish concept of ‘Lagom’ (roughly translated meaning “just the right amount”) has been rolled out at creative agency MADE, where a couple of years back they introduced a six hour work day (yes, they class working just six hours every day as full time!) Their decision to go for this approach was discussed by MADE at an event in Norwich held at the end of 2018 https://youtu.be/HY7gLFCzK3o.

The concept of a six hour work day originated as part of a government experiment in Sweden after it was identified that healthcare facilities in particular were burnt out because of unsustainable workloads. Other businesses in our region such as Norwich and London based Curveball Media have followed suit, introducing similar arrangements to give their staff a more rounded lifestyle. Norwich based Accountancy firm Farnell Clarke have done the same, even going as far as giving their people unlimited holiday in a bid to appeal as a modern employer to the next generation of talent. These companies say that this move has improved productivity and work focus and it allows their people to really live their lives outside of work.

The Swedish model is one way of embracing “flexible working”, it certainly addresses the culture of presenteeism, however, it may not be a good fit for every business or individual.  Some may feel it is too restrictive in terms of it not accommodating individual needs (the school pick-ups, the day per week caring for an elderly parent etc). The type of flexibility you offer or agree to provide will boil down to several factors including the work your employees undertake, external factors such as customer demand/requirements and most tellingly, the culture and ethos of your business. If you’ve not already done so, this might be something to review…

The right to flexible working

Legislation was introduced by the UK Government in 2003 originally aimed at parents and certain other carers. This was later widened to all employees who have 26 weeks continuous employment, regardless of parental or caring responsibilities.

In a nutshell, employees have a right to request flexible working and employers have a duty to consider such a request in a reasonable manner. Employers can only refuse a request for flexible working if they can show that certain grounds apply.

Whilst the law is a good starting point, it can mean that flexible working is sometimes seen simply as a tick-the-box exercise for compliance reasons. Of course, you do need to pay the minimum degree of attention to such requests as a failure to comply could lead to disengagement, bad feeling and even an employment tribunal claim, which nobody wants. However, there is much more to implementing a successful flexible working culture than just to avoid litigation.

Common myths

“People might abuse it”…“We need a presence in the office”…“It won’t work operationally”…”If we give it to one we’d have to give it to all”…

Sound familiar? I believe the best way to implement flexible working is to gain buy-in from the senior leader(s) in your business and where possible, to get them to practice what they preach.

With any type of flexibility at work there obviously need to be perimeters as to what is acceptable, however if you measure performance on outputs instead of time spent at a desk, you might just find it benefits your business. Afterall, in today’s age of technology, many traditionally desk-based roles can now be carried out anywhere. The big word here is TRUST. Most people want to do a good job and can be trusted to just get on with it, be it they carry out their work remotely, during unorthodox hours or any other flexible arrangement.

There are obviously workplaces or roles where certain flexible working patterns might prove more difficult. This is usually where defensiveness and negativity creep in. However, employers should remember that nobody is asking that they agree to a request which would have a negative effect on their business. There is usually an acceptable solution to be found.

I would advise employers confronted with a flexible working request to really think it through and give careful consideration – what are the barriers? Can they be overcome? Are there alternatives/compromises? For example, by its nature the role of a receptionist is usually performed on-site, however it might be that reduced hours could be accommodated through a job share arrangement, the bonus being that annual leave can usually be covered much easier this way. Aspects of the job might even be able to be carried out differently. It is all about open dialogue. Employers need to show that they have their peoples interests at heart and are open to discussion around how any proposal might work in reality.

The FlexAppeal campaign supported by instagram influencer Anna Whitehouse aka mother_pukka and her husband, aims to dispel the myths and raise awareness to employers of the benefits of flexible working for everyone, particularly working parents. See their recent TEDx talk on the subject: https://www.motherpukka.co.uk/tedx-talk-flexible-working/ The campaign has recently seen a collaboration with the NHS to improve their flexible practices. Anna believes that the suggestion that agreeing to a flexible working request might ‘open the floodgates’ (as she was once told when asking to reduce her day by just 15 minutes each end) is an unfounded fear and that being open to flexibility benefits business’s in so many ways.

What’s in it for my business?

Well quite a lot actually! For many, a salary is no longer the only or even the main consideration when looking to make a career move. We hear all the time about millennials with portfolio careers choosing happiness and fulfilment over a large pay cheque. This is one of the very reasons that the firms I mentioned earlier are deciding to do things differently.

If you’re getting it right, shout about it! Become an employer of choice, use the fact you embrace flexibility as a brilliant tool to attract the best talent. You may just unlock a previously untapped pool waiting for a chance to contribute to the success of your business.

During my career I’ve seen how some forward-thinking organisations have managed this brilliantly but (sadly) more often I’ve seen unnecessary barriers put up for those who need or want to work in a more flexible way. I challenge any employer to re-assess their stance on flexible working. In this day and age it can and does work in many roles and sectors.

Flexible working can assist someone at the beginning of their career to study alongside their work – a potential benefit to your business if they can be developed and make use of their new qualifications but even if it is unrelated and they move on, you can bet they will always be grateful for the support and you never know when your paths may cross again, let alone the ‘word of mouth’ effect.

Then there’s the more obvious working mum’s scenario (although as the partner of a former part-time stay-at-home dad, I prefer ‘working parent’). Where a shorter day, some remote working or a part-time/job share arrangement means that parents can juggle their career with family life.

There are also many people heading towards the end of their careers but who don’t wish to fully retire. They possess desirable skills and valuable experience but just don’t wish to work full time, perhaps because of caring responsibilities for elderly parents or grandchildren.

Not forgetting those who don’t have any of the responsibilities traditionally associated with flexible working but whom simply wish to pursue a hobby, train for a marathon or similar, or have some other life event, illness or interest where flexibility at work would go a long way in supporting their health and wellbeing – an all-round win-win in terms of their ability to manage all aspects of their life whilst continuing to do great work for your business. Regardless of your flexible working policy, you have an obligation to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ for disabled employees under the Equality Act and flexibility here is usually key.

I don’t particularly like the term ‘work-life balance’. It sounds slightly dated. Work is part and parcel of life, the two are not separate entities. I think it is important for employers to recognise their people as a whole. I know from my own experience that when afforded flexibility, I gave back to my employer in spades. I also became a lot more productive and focused, as do many people when given a specific window to complete their work. Out went the chatting, long lunches and days when despite being present from 8am-6pm not so much was achieved and instead, my output skyrocketed.

There are loads of other benefits to flexible working which are often overlooked by employers. For example, reduced sickness absence, better stress management and even a reduction in business costs where people are working in a more agile way (less desk space needed).

If more employers recognised their staff as real people, dealing with real issues and bringing up a future generation of workers (just like they, their partners/children/friends are doing) it would be a really good starting point and may just help change the way we as society value the individual contribution, whatever that might look like. It would certainly make it easier for those contributing in ways other than paid work to earn, perhaps re-entering the workplace after a career break should they wish or need to and who, if given the opportunity to manage their work differently to the standard 9-5, would jump at it. Just think of the life skills they could bring to your business!

So, to summarise the benefits, as well as becoming an employer of choice, attracting from untapped pools, retaining great people and increasing productivity, in embracing a flexible working culture within your business, you will be contributing to the making of a better society – and you can pat yourself on the back for inadvertently working on your CSR strategy!

Help. I’ve had a Flexible Working request in!

Ideally you will have already established a clear process for flexible working (requests and in practice), tailored to your organisation. So what do you need to do when the inevitable request is made?

• Consider any request on its merits, make sure you understand the reasons behind it, look at the current work pattern for the employee’s role, is this really preferable to you? If so why? Is it because it’s how it’s always been done? Challenge yourself!
• Discuss with the individual as to how they see it working, how you would overcome any barriers or concerns. Ask for their input in terms of how it might work in practice.
• If you are still unsure, it is ok to agree to implement the request on a trial basis giving everyone some breathing space to assess whether it works in reality.
• Build mechanisms to monitor and evaluate success – how will you measure output, what processes do you need in place for lone working?
• Keep records of discussions, it doesn’t always have to be formal but a note of what was discussed and when can be useful to refer to further down the line.
• Once established and working well, use the arrangement as a success story, make sure your people know that you are open to discussion around flexibility. Promote your policies, use it in recruitment campaigns. Let your business be at the forefront of flexibility for all – and reap the benefits!