In 2014 legislation came into place that made it possible for all employees with 26 weeks or more service to request flexible working. Up until then only those with young children or those with a dependant to care for, had the right to do so.
Finding a work/life balance can be tricky and the way people want to work is evolving as a ‘job for life’ is no longer appealing for most younger job seekers and older workers want to ensure quality of life, without retiring completely.
Who is likely to request flexible working?
Those with families and dependants are still probably the largest group likely to request flexible working, but the hope is that this legislation will make it easier and more acceptable particularly for men, no matter their position, to ask for flexibility. More than half of over 55s are likely to work past retirement age and the opportunity to work fewer hours may be appealing to those wanting to continue with an income and career but enjoy more time out in the build up to their retirement. On the other side of the scale many younger workers are attracted to flexible work with the aim of building up a portfolio, while possibly working on other projects or building up their own business at the same time.
What forms of flexible working are there?
- Part-time working
- Working from home
- Flexi-time – working outside of traditional office hours
- Compressed hours – working longer hours on some days to free up others
- Job-sharing
- Term-time working – paid or unpaid leave during school holidays
What are the benefits?
The benefits for the employee are obvious; ideally leading to better moral, productivity, lower labour turnover, and reduced absenteeism. However, organisations are beginning to see other benefits such as saving on office space and the costs involved in having staff present on their premises. Also, many firms may require their workforce to be flexible during busy periods of the year so offering your employees flexibility themselves should mean they’re more likely to return the favour.
Is there a downside?
A problem that has to be well managed and should involve some form of policy and procedure is the fact that there may be a number of conflicting requests submitted by employees. Organisations must be careful not to discriminate, as this could lead to expensive and damaging employment tribunals.
Flexible working means a change in culture for many organisations, whereas for others where the process is encouraged and flexible working is celebrated, the culture of the organisation simply evolves to allow the benefits of this arrangement to benefit the organisation further. Many firms measure the input of their employees on whether they turn up and complete their shift, but surely productivity should be based on objectives, output and completion? This is exactly how you may need to manage your flexible, part-time or home workers to ensure they are on the same page and complete their work to the standard required, within the appropriate time.
Does your organisation champion flexible working, did you celebrate National Flexible Working Awareness Day earlier this month? Let us know your thoughts on Twitter @ITRecruitment
