Surveys have found that flexible working leads to a more loyal and productive workforce. With staff increasingly demanding a better work-life balance, many employers are making flexibility a permanent fixture.
With so much competition to retain talent, staff now expect flexible working as one of the standard perks. According to the ONS, 85% of working adults currently homeworking want a hybrid approach of both home and office working in future.
Flexible working can bring enormous benefits to both employees and employers. According to a survey from FlexJobs, 83% of the 1,300 respondents said they would be more loyal to their employer if they had flexible work options. Furthermore, 52% of respondents said they were more productive at home.
“I found that staff were always asking for a few hours off for domestic matters,” UKBF member @atmosbob said on a thread about flexible working. “Giving a day off each week made their lives a lot easier to manage. This coincided with two of them moving from finishing at 3 pm to finishing at 5 pm. The arrangement worked perfectly.”
It’s also possible to adapt your approach during a pilot scheme, tweaking elements before rolling it out to the whole workforce. Be sure to get feedback from the staff involved.
For example, if the majority of your clients are only available at certain times, or there are predictable busy periods, you may need to state core working hours.
Member @Ryan Paul said on the flexible working thread: “When you have outlined the parameters, including the hours you need to cover, then let the staff manage it themselves. If you or others feel that some employees are not being treated fairly then only get involved and introduce a rota.”
It’s also important to stress that normal rules apply. If a team member is ill or unable to attend a pre-scheduled work appointment, they need to let managers know ahead of time.
To maintain this trust, employees must set clear deadlines for when work needs to be completed and should not micromanage. Instead, have regular meetings to monitor progress. Ideally, these check-ins should be at the same time each day, week or month. The importance of attending these meetings must be stressed.
Asking employees to add their hours to a time and attendance software package or a spreadsheet enables you to see who has worked when, which also helps to create accountability.
A total of 70% of 1,684 people polled by the BBC predicted that workers would "never return to offices at the same rate" after the pandemic. The majority of workers said that they would prefer to work from home either full-time or at least some of the time, the report added.
All-encompassing options include Microsoft Office 365 and Google Workspace. Both of these platforms allow colleagues to edit documents in real-time, host video meetings and conferences online, manage workflows, access shared calendars and communicate via instant messaging or email, plus more.
Another popular communication tool is Slack, which uses channels to organise different projects or teams. Skype and Zoom are both easy-to-use options for video conferencing.
There are lots of platforms to manage workflows. The most well known is Trello, which utilises Kanban boards, lists and cards to organise and prioritise projects.
Provide a Virtual Private Network (VPN) for home workers and install end-point security software on all personal devices. It’s also worth providing a separate WiFi network for people using their personal devices in the workplace.
Find out more in our article Six big data privacy issues – and how your business should approach them.
With so much competition to retain talent, staff now expect flexible working as one of the standard perks. According to the ONS, 85% of working adults currently homeworking want a hybrid approach of both home and office working in future.
Flexible working can bring enormous benefits to both employees and employers. According to a survey from FlexJobs, 83% of the 1,300 respondents said they would be more loyal to their employer if they had flexible work options. Furthermore, 52% of respondents said they were more productive at home.
“I found that staff were always asking for a few hours off for domestic matters,” UKBF member @atmosbob said on a thread about flexible working. “Giving a day off each week made their lives a lot easier to manage. This coincided with two of them moving from finishing at 3 pm to finishing at 5 pm. The arrangement worked perfectly.”
Types of flexible working
It’s helpful to understand what options there are to make work more flexible. According to the latest government advice, there are several different types of flexible working.- Job sharing: When two people do one job and split the hours.
- Working from home: Allowing staff to work from home either permanently or offering a hybrid of home and office work.
- Part-time: Working less than full-time hours (usually by working fewer days).
- Compressed hours: Working full-time hours but over fewer days.
- Flexitime: The employee chooses when to start and end work (within agreed limits) but works certain “core hours”, for example 10 am to 4 pm every day.
- Annualised hours: The employee has to work a certain number of hours over the year but they have some flexibility about when they work. There are sometimes “core hours” which the employee regularly works each week and they work the rest of their hours flexibly or when there’s extra demand.
- Staggered hours: The employee has different start, finish and break times from other workers.
- Phased retirement: Default retirement age has been phased out and older workers can choose when they want to retire. This means they can reduce their hours and work part-time.
Start with a pilot scheme
A good way to determine if flexible working is right for your business is to introduce a trial. By offering a select number of employees the opportunity to work flexibly for a set period, you can make a decision based on experience.It’s also possible to adapt your approach during a pilot scheme, tweaking elements before rolling it out to the whole workforce. Be sure to get feedback from the staff involved.
Define the rules
Flexible working can result in an improved work-life balance and more engaged staff. However, it’s usually necessary to set some firm ground rules.For example, if the majority of your clients are only available at certain times, or there are predictable busy periods, you may need to state core working hours.
Member @Ryan Paul said on the flexible working thread: “When you have outlined the parameters, including the hours you need to cover, then let the staff manage it themselves. If you or others feel that some employees are not being treated fairly then only get involved and introduce a rota.”
It’s also important to stress that normal rules apply. If a team member is ill or unable to attend a pre-scheduled work appointment, they need to let managers know ahead of time.
Build mutual trust
An important part of establishing flexible working is trust. Employers need to know that the work will be completed to a high standard, deadlines will be met and that open communication will continue. Staff need to feel empowered to plan their days and manage their workloads.To maintain this trust, employees must set clear deadlines for when work needs to be completed and should not micromanage. Instead, have regular meetings to monitor progress. Ideally, these check-ins should be at the same time each day, week or month. The importance of attending these meetings must be stressed.
Asking employees to add their hours to a time and attendance software package or a spreadsheet enables you to see who has worked when, which also helps to create accountability.
Enable remote working
A big part of flexible working is enabling employees to work remotely or offering a hybrid option of home and office. Many businesses were thrust into remote working during the pandemic, but the phenomenon looks here to stay.A total of 70% of 1,684 people polled by the BBC predicted that workers would "never return to offices at the same rate" after the pandemic. The majority of workers said that they would prefer to work from home either full-time or at least some of the time, the report added.
Technology
Technology has made it easier than ever to work remotely. Whether it’s managing workflows or meeting colleagues, there are endless tools to choose from.All-encompassing options include Microsoft Office 365 and Google Workspace. Both of these platforms allow colleagues to edit documents in real-time, host video meetings and conferences online, manage workflows, access shared calendars and communicate via instant messaging or email, plus more.
Another popular communication tool is Slack, which uses channels to organise different projects or teams. Skype and Zoom are both easy-to-use options for video conferencing.
There are lots of platforms to manage workflows. The most well known is Trello, which utilises Kanban boards, lists and cards to organise and prioritise projects.
Cyber security
If your company is introducing remote working, it’s essential that cyber security is robust. Home and public WiFi is much easier for hackers to attack. Consider introducing a device management policy across the whole company.Provide a Virtual Private Network (VPN) for home workers and install end-point security software on all personal devices. It’s also worth providing a separate WiFi network for people using their personal devices in the workplace.
Data compliance
Some businesses can face challenges when moving to remote work. Firms that handle client data may have to take action to avoid breaches and remain legally compliant.Find out more in our article Six big data privacy issues – and how your business should approach them.
