The traditional working week of Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm is slowly becoming a thing of the past as more and more businesses embrace flexible working arrangements.
There are huge benefits to be gained from providing a work environment that allows employees to take ownership of when and how they are most productive. It is an acknowledgement that work is only one aspect of people’s lives and often there’s a need to accommodate family commitments, hobbies or study too.
The key to making sure flexible working arrangements work effectively is regular communication and agreeing quantifiable outcomes. The focus becomes on output, rather than input.
Legislation now provides all employees with the right to request flexible working, so it is important you have a policy and process in place to manage these requests.
In putting together a policy, consider what types of variations can be requested, and for what length of time – is it temporary or permanent? It’s also important to put the onus on the employee to think about any potential negative impact the proposed change could have and how this will be minimised.
We recommend all arrangements are open to regular review.
Tags: employee relations, work life blend