A few months ago it would have been hard to imagine industries of fully virtual workplaces where advances in technology and digital processes mean that employees can tell employers how and when they want to work. Like it or not, Covid 19 has revolutionised the way that some sectors work and we’re seeing the merger of personal and professional goals in total work-life integration. One such quote we heard recently is: “There’s no such thing as work life balance-just balance.”
What are the pioneers doing?
As an example, “Paddle” Technology Company offer unlimited annual leave and unrestricted flexible working for all employees. Google cancelled all internal meetings for a week and Twitter often have ‘meeting free mornings’ or afternoons.
Other examples include:
- Unlimited paid leave meaning that staff have the freedom to take the time they need in their lives when they need it and when it works for them. In return, if a deadline needs meeting, people are expected to pull together and deliver on time.
- At ‘Rapid Context’ if staff have caring responsibilities or need to focus on life outside of work, they can take the time without feeling anxious or being judged. In return they are expected to be ‘all in’ when at work.
- Give staff 100% trust and flexibility to manage working lives as they see fit. Trust them to meet deadlines, juggle personal lives, choose where in the world they would like to live and work.
How to make radical flexibility work in practice
- Open communication and agreed core hours.
- Set clear objectives so staff can work autonomously.
- Check in regularly but don’t check up – assess output rather time spent at desks.
- Create a virtual workspace such as Microsoft Teams, Workplace or Slack.
- Maintain workplace culture by being inclusive, using collaborative decision making, reward and recognition, keeping everyone in the loop and enabling face to face time where possible, such as team events.
What if my business cannot facilitate home working i.e. a manufacturing operation or high street shop?
It’s not always feasible to offer radical flexibility, but surveys show that an employer’s approach to flexible working could be a deal breaker when attracting and retaining employees.
There are a few things employers can consider if working from home just isn’t an option:
- Flex hours – give employees a choice in the hours that they work.
- Offer shift swaps to those with similar skill sets or allow split shift working.
- Consider compressed work weeks. The most popular shift pattern we knew of in a manufacturing setting was 3 x 12 hours shifts per week.
- Consider a ‘Paid Time Off Policy’ encompassing all aspects of paid leave over a year. Employees self-manage this and are responsible for their own cover by people of a similar skill set. This frees up a lot of line manager time too.
- Offer floating holidays and ask for input about any company shutdowns.
- Offer part time working and job sharing. This often enables key skills to be retained within the business if there is a change in circumstances for key individuals.
So, are you ready to make some changes? Are you prepared to work together with your employees to shape a better future that meets your needs as well as your employees’ expectations? A good starting point would be to gain the views from your employees, engaging them from the onset and examine the best fit approach for your organisation. One size does not fit all, but flexibility will be a key consideration when hiring people in future.
If you’d like any help to review your existing policies or implement any changes, please don’t hesitate to contact the team.
T: 07739 089468
