Flexible working – A positive step forward not a legislative bind!
It was 18 years ago that the UK Government introduced the 'right to request’ flexible working. Prior to 2003, this right had only applied to parents and carers. Fast forward to 2021 and are we now finally seeing flexible working being embraced as a long term option by the masses?
The CIPD defines flexible working as; “A way of working that suits an employee's needs, for example having flexible start and finish times, or working from home....”
In the first 17 years up to the start of the pandemic of 2020, many employers had encouraged the principle of flexible working in many guises. But the reality was that many of their managers and, in some cases, entire organisations have culturally seen it as a hindrance to business and even, for some, a sure-fire way for workers to ‘slack off’. Oh yes, sadly that attitude was still in evidence less than 18 months ago. So, presenteeism has let’s face it all too often prevailed since flexible working was introduced.
And then there was Covid-19
Since early 2020 when the first lockdowns rocked the world, we have seen colleagues on zoom struggle to work from home and balance their day job with caring duties and homeschooling, amongst many other individual challenges. Nobody knew what or how the pandemic would impact us, but everyone made do and got on with it finding ways to make it work, eventually. In the interim, stress levels went through the roof; ‘normal’ working practices and hours went out of the window; and employers, managers, and workers more often than not were entirely out of their comfort zones.
And then, slowly but surely, workers found a routine that worked for them, and employers put in place systems and practices to support the work from home model, and finally, albeit many were forced to, we all started to see the benefits of flexible working.
2021 and beyond…….
The various lockdowns and ongoing constraints as we emerge from them has seen the continued requirement to work from home become the new ‘normal’ for many. It has led employers across the board to finally realise that odd working patterns to care for loved ones (home schooling being the most common focal point) has not reduced an individuals’ ability to continue to perform, and in some instances has actually led to an improvement in productivity and performance levels. And those workers that have found a pattern to balance work with life and family commitments see the real value in flexible working and won’t necessarily want to return to the office 5 days a week, if at all.
Perhaps most importantly those more skeptical organisations have seen from the enforced absence from the office, that output over presenteeism is in fact a better measure of success.
As we start to return to the workplace and to a largely hybrid approach to home/office-based working let’s hope that the majority of employers seek to find mechanisms to suit both the organisation and the individuals’ needs. There is no doubt the flexible/work from home model does have many benefits for all parties, and with robust systems, reliable tech and processes, and expectations in place, it is now seen as a viable, productive, and financially sensible option.
For workers, a flexible but productive working without the daily grind and stress of a commute, or the pressure to juggle life’s commitments with the need to be at a desk in the office for set hours each day. For employers, an equally, if not more, productive as well as empowered workforce with the added benefit of lower overheads as less physical space and the associated running costs are required to accommodate all workers full time.
Something else to consider if you are not convinced....
The war for talent which has been evident for many (and has in some industries never departed), will be returning over the next few months/years depending on the sector. A truly forward-thinking organisation will be taking a 21st-century approach to flexible working practices if they hope to attract the best talent to join them.
It’s a shame it’s taken a global pandemic to finally show the way and be embraced by all, but flexible working is finally no longer a 'nice to have' and instead will have commercial consequences for businesses that don’t take it seriously.