This year, a raft of legislation could mean offices end up working in a very different way. From the right to request flexible working being extended to all employees in June, to the introduction of shared parental leave in October, managers will increasingly be thinking beyond the usual nine to five.
But while it’s important to have updated policies detailing how to handle these requests, the thornier challenge will be getting the culture right. Flexible working may not be a new concept, but it’s one that many managers misconstrue.
The key misconception is that flexible working is something only women (and in particular, mothers) ask for, according to Jonathan Swan, research and policy manager at Working Families. “There are actually many types of flexible working, whether it’s home working or doing compressed hours, and they are becoming more accepted and widespread,” he says. “Yet people who work part time or reduced hours are still presumed to be women.”
Swan says that, as more senior staff (of either sex) demonstrate working outside the traditional nine to five structure, flexible working will become more accepted. This has been the case at Wales & West Housing Association, where at least two of the (male) senior directors work from home on a regular basis, as one has caring responsibilities and the other does the school run.
“I’ve worked in places where there were reams of policies on flexible working but people felt afraid to ask for it,” says HR manager Judith Norris-Jones. “Here, we upskill managers to make a judgment that’s fair and supportive.”
Neither is flexible working simply keeping different hours, or working from home. But as the nature of work becomes more complex, driven by technology and globalisation, it will make sense for organisations to enable staff to work when and where it suits them.
“We’ll see requests from all areas – even 20-somethings now question why they have to be at the office full time when technology means they can work from Starbucks,” says Amanda Seabrook, director of Workpond, a recruitment company that focuses on part-time roles.
Where flexible working works well, it’s visible and the implications on colleagues have been thought through. Seabrook cites the example of a company where requests for flexible working are judged democratically by the team that person works in; the “requester” is responsible for coming up with a solution that suits everyone before it can be accepted. At Wales & West, shift workers can swap shifts and review their hours every eight weeks if they want to work in a different pattern.
Finally, look at the data around your flexible workforce, says Swan. Rather than just measuring take-up, monitor what happens to those who work flexibly.
Are they promoted? Do they still meet deadlines? What are their customer service scores? Is flexible working evenly distributed? Incorporate flexible working patterns into the talent pipeline and it will actively increase engagement and retention.
✶ For more on family friendly law, visit HR-inform bit.ly/CIPDflex ✶ Explore topical employment law, including flexible working, at a CIPD Law on Tour workshop this spring bit.ly/CIPDlawtour
