More and more employees want flexible working for a better balance between their work and the rest of their life goals. But while a growing number of organizations trying to meet the needs of its employees’, they do not altruism but for good business reasons. Benefits range from increased motivation, productivity and retention, better customer service and significant cost reductions and CO2.
However, many employers still resist the strong business case for flexible working hours. They fear that employees working from home will be avoided, and that customers will lose faith if he can not speak to exactly who they want, whenever and wherever they want. Some employers think that the desire to work flexibly to a lack of commitment implies, it is especially useful for working mothers, and that breed resentment among those who are not flexible working.
Yet this attitude are the biggest obstacle to flexible working. Other important elements are winning the buy-in from line managers by showing them how the team, customer and business benefit, communicating flexible working as an asset for everyone, not just women who are strong policies and procedures , human employees learn to trust, and, crucially, monitoring output, not input.
In societies such as DSGI, BT, Lloyds TSB and First Direct, have been strong pioneers of flexible working, flexibility for frontline staff and management levels are managed quite differently. Companies offer a range of different flexible working options, including term-time or school hours working, evening or night working, compressed hours, home working and rolling shifts, and trying to adapt to the needs of frontline staff, wherever possible , planning is against the demands of the business weekly, monthly or quarterly basis.
However, in terms of back office and central support functions, where people work in smaller teams, flexibility is managed more informally. Melissa Godfray, senior manager, equality and diversity at Lloyds TSB, says that good line management, more training – along with a large dose of common sense – is essential.
”In our team, for example, we have a weekly planner position, so that everyone – both internally and externally – knows where everyone is and when they become available, even if the phone or email. And you should avoid scheduling meetings in the July 1930 In the morning, when a part of the team can do, “he says.
Indeed, some of the top and hard work carried out under rigidity. Godfray says: “Our head of foreign banks in the world to fly all the time, but two weeks is compressed so it can be useful chunks of time with his family when he was in the United Kingdom.”
Also Caroline Waters, Director People and Policy at BT Group, works from home one or two days a week, another BT senior executive works a compressed week, a whole different work from home. “We have examples at all levels,” says Waters.
But managing flexible working successfully, particularly at management level and above, is also a matter of give and take, points out Godfray. “Employees can change their holiday from Friday to Monday, for example, to an important meeting to catch or be willing to emergency call, if they go home.”
They can also be flexible, if for some reason, his application for a particular type of job. “But we encourage line managers not only to fully reject the request, but to other functional alternatives to explore. Giving individuals time to mull over a compromise solution, it is also important, because these things can be very emotional,” says Godfray.
In these leading companies, flexible working is communicated as a benefit for all employees, not only working mothers, and Take-up is the same for both men and women. “Communicating successful flexible working is also very important, and we take every opportunity to showcase the people – men and women at all levels – who do,” says Godfray.
Flexible working does not work as hard, but it often means the opposite. BT research shows that the average productivity of the individual working from home is 20% higher than when they are in office. The growth of teleworking at BT brings a further £ 8 m to the bottom line each year. And the savings do not stop.
Waters explains: “Since 2000, we received £ 500 m away from our real estate costs. Tariff after our return maternity leave is 99% compared to the UK 40%, which saves us between £ 4m and £ 5m in recruitment costs. The Generally, our employees a turnover of 3%, in industry, where 17-18% is the norm. “People also travel less.” In just one year we used 12 m liters less fuel, saving 10 million pounds and 54,000 tonnes of CO2. “
Flexible working is good for business, but for most organizations require a change in thinking and culture.
Previously published in Business Review, Impact Management.
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