Why aren't more employers offering flexible jobs?
Tuesday 9 November, 2021: Nearly three quarters of UK job vacancies make no reference to flexible working possibilities, say social business & flexible working experts Timewise following unique analysis of more than 5 million job vacancies1.
At present, job vacancies are at their highest level since official records began in 20012 – yet the portion of jobs offering flexible options has grown by just 4 percentage points from 20203, representing a huge missed opportunity to recruit by employers. At present, half the UK’s employees work flexibly in some form4 and 9 in 10 people say they want flexibility in their next job5. Just over 1 in 4 UK jobs are advertised with flexible working options (26 per cent)6. Meaning that people who need flexibility effectively cannot apply for 3 out of every 4 vacancies on the market.
Timewise has produced an annual snapshot of the UK labour market since 2015, to see if the portion of jobs advertised with flexible options is rising, what kind of jobs are being offered with flex and at what kind of salary level. Vacancies are filtered using 17 keywords relating to different forms of flexible working, for example: ‘remote working’, ‘home working’ and ‘part-time’.
From the report, Flexible Jobs Index 2021 from 00:01 on Tuesday 9 November are:
| PART-TIME | HOME-WORKING | CATCH-ALL TERM ‘FLEXIBLE WORKING’ | |
| <£20K | 19% | 3% | 7% |
| £20K-£34K | 9% | 7% | 7% |
| £35K-£59K | 6% | 11% | 9% |
| £60K-£79K | 3% | 15% | 11% |
| £80K+ | 3% | 14% | 10% |
Timewise co-founder Emma Stewart MBE comments: “The way that employers are advertising jobs ignores the biggest shake-up of work seen in a generation. We know that candidates do not want to raise the question; we believe they shouldn’t have to. In the post-pandemic, post-Brexit employment market, where vacancies far outstrip candidate supply, thousands of skilled candidates won’t move until they see that a job clearly offers flexible working from day one. With more than 3 million people still economically inactive due to caring or health reasons, employers are missing out on attracting a wider pool of talent they desperately need7.”
Lynn Rattigan, Chief Operating Officer at EY says: “Timewise’s latest research shows that UK businesses have a real opportunity to attract sought-after talent, particularly at a time when vacancies are at their highest. EY has championed flexible working for many years and all of our vacancies in the UK are advertised as being open to flexibility.”
“The experience of the pandemic has also brought new perspectives and, like many organisations, we’ve been assessing the impact of changing work patterns on how, when and where our people work. That’s why we have introduced a new hybrid working model, enabling our people to split their time between their home, office and client site as appropriate. We believe this will maximise the benefits of both in-person collaboration and flexible remote working for our people and clients.”
Danny Harmer, Chief People Officer, Aviva says: “Offering flexible roles is essential to attract the very best, and most diverse, workforce so it’s good business sense. Flexible roles also support people with life’s changing demands so they can contribute, for example, to their families and communities while progressing their careers, which is great for society too.”
Fiona Cannon, Group Sustainable Business Director, Lloyds Banking Group says: “At Lloyds Banking Group, we have taken a pro-active approach to agile working and recruitment for many years now and over 93% of our jobs offer a flexible option. The pandemic has accelerated our progress to become a more agile, collaborative, and inclusive organisation. This is helping us to attract new and diverse talent which will help us to meet the changing needs of our customers.”
For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact Jo Burkill:
e: press@timewise.co.uk
About Timewise
Timewise (timewise.co.uk) are flexible working specialists running a flexible working consultancy that helps employers design innovative solutions to attract and retain talented people, and create fair workplaces.
The consultancy is part of a wider multi-award winning social enterprise, that shares market insights on flexible working and flexible hiring, conducts research and runs campaigns and advocates for change on the stigma surrounding part-time and flexible work. It also runs Timewise Jobs (timewisejobs.co.uk ), a national jobs board for roles that are part-time or open to flexibility.
Source: monthly Labour Market Survey report by the ONS, 14 October 2021
[1] ONS data for May-July 2021
Wednesday 23 June, 2021: Timewise (Timewise.co.uk), the flexible working consultants, today publish the results of their ground-breaking Timewise Construction Pioneers programme – an 18 month project that has re-designed shift patterns in onsite roles, to enable more flexible working, enhanced wellbeing and improved work-life balance.
Four of the UK’s largest construction companies took part: BAM Construct, BAM Nuttall, Skanska UK and Willmott Dixon. Collectively they employ around 11,000 people1.
The pilots ran between June 2020 and February 2021, through the pandemic.
Timewise tested whether it is possible to improve the wellbeing of those working on site through changing the hours and times of working, as well as considering home-based working where possible.
The goal was to identify if this was possible to achieve without budgets or deadlines being affected, across a range of sites and projects. The pilots took place in a range of locations, from an HS2 site in London through to a substation build near Weston Super Mare, amongst teams employing between 14 and 120 workers.
Build UK partnered with Timewise on the programme, and The Construction Industry Training Board and Barclays LifeSkills supported its rollout.
Over 3m people work in the UK construction sector contributing 9% of the economy.2
It is hoped that flexible working can help address a range of issues within the sector:
Timewise used a system it has developed for location-based roles which need to cover a long working day – which it calls the ‘shift-life balance’ model. It tested different types of flexible working7 across the different sites:
There was a broad positive shift in wellbeing, with many workers speaking of improvements to their family life and sense of wellbeing.
Some stated that they would consider the ability to work flexibly as a key criteria when applying for future jobs. Managers reported a greater sense of trust, ownership and a better team dynamic.
All the Pioneer firms reported no negative impact on budgets or timeframes. Some data suggests adjustments to working patterns could drive savings on labour costs due to enhanced productivity.
Furthermore, the project achieved the following8:
The full results can be read in Timewise’s report: “Making Construction a great place to work – can flexible working help?’.
Timewise has produced a 10-point toolkit for other employers that wish to follow suit, and is recommending that the Construction Leadership Council endorse the fact that enabling flexible working in construction is critical to:
Emma Stewart MBE, director of development at Timewise, says: “This programme has proved, beyond doubt, that flexible working can work even in complex site-based industries such as construction. In a sector that is all about overcoming challenge with innovation, perhaps that should be no surprise. Our trailblazing Pioneers: BAM Construct, BAM Nuttall, Skanska UK and Willmott Dixon have shown that wellbeing and balance should be possible to achieve for the whole workforce – not just those in office roles. And in doing so have provided a blueprint that we hope will drive wider industry change. Working practices no longer need to be a block to attracting the best and most diverse possible talent. Our thanks also go to Build UK for its vision and foresight in catalysing this unique project.”
Suzannah Nichol MBE, chief executive of Build UK, says: “Flexible working has enabled me to continue my career in construction for over 30 years, and this report will help others to do the same. Our industry offers a fantastic range of opportunities, and Timewise and our pioneers have proved that flexible working is possible, even for site-based teams. By sharing what works, we can help companies across the sector create the working environment that will attract and retain a diverse workforce, making construction a positive career choice for everyone. It’s a win-win, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.”
Harvey Francis, executive vice president at Skanska UK, says:
“We’re delighted to have partnered with Build UK and others to successfully deliver this important piece of work. Skanska UK is committed to improving access to flexible working for our site-based workers, and outcomes from Timewise have assisted in the development of our own flexible working programme, Flex-it.”
Andrea Singh, Executive and HR Director for BAM Construct UK, says:
“Our new approach to flexible working is giving people a better work-life balance and is making construction an attractive career choice. Thanks to this pioneering work, our managers are thinking differently and that’s making a real improvement to people’s lives. We now ask, ‘how can we make flexibility work?’ and not, ‘can we make it work?’. Managers are finding flexible approaches that work for their team and clients.”
Adrian Savory, CEO for BAM Nuttall says:
“Our involvement in the Timewise flexible working trial aligns with our focus to support our people to be at their best, and create inclusive environments which attract a wider diversity of people into the industry. The results of the pilots have demonstrated flexibility for operational roles is possible, and has been a win, win, win – for the business, teams and improving individual’s wellbeing. We have started implementing the approach across the whole of our business. And it’s encouraging to see people having conversations that wouldn’t have been possible without these results and the clear guidance for a successful approach. Over the past 18 months our industry adapted the way we work to continue keeping key workers moving, essential products on shelves and supply renewable power and clean water to homes and businesses, and this year has proved to us all that, together, we can do things so differently when we collaborate cross-industry – and do them more safely, sustainably, healthily and inclusively for all.”
Rick Lee, chief people officer at Willmott Dixon said:
“We are delighted to have participated in the flexible working pilot led by Timewise. The scheme has allowed us to progress our pre-existing agile working programme and has helped us develop our knowledge and skills to enable our people, whether they have a site or office based role, to achieve a greater work/life balance.”
“Across our business we have a deep-rooted philosophy that our people make the difference and that our culture is critical to providing an environment where all our people can thrive and enjoy the career of a lifetime. Being able to embed a successful approach to agile working at our sites is critical for achieving a diverse business and realising our aim to achieve gender parity across our workforce by 2030.”
For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact Jo Burkill:
t: 0207 633 4553 m: 07960 472 097
e: press@timewise.co.uk
1 Total number of employees at: BAM Construct, BAM Nuttall, Willmott Dixon and Skanska UK, based on figures given in June 2021.
2 https://www.constructionleadershipcouncil.co.uk/wp-content/%20uploads/2020/10/R2R-Status%20Report-v5.0-FINAL.pdf
3 Assessment by HPC and Duradiamond Healthcare, as published in The Guardian, August 2019: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/aug/13/no-more-man-up-better-mental-health-hinkley-point-c
4 HSE Construction Statistics in GB, October 2018 https://457f2b39-509f-437e-9295-7de053dd6bf1.filesusr.com/ugd/2ea9a4_1123897588094d4db915a481782c15bc.pdf
5 https://workplaceinsight.net/culture-shifts-needed-to-drive-a-better-gender-balance-in-property-and-construction/ 6 Timewise Flexible Jobs Index, 2019
7 For a more in depth explanation of each pilot, see pages 19 & 20 of the new Timewise report INSERT LINK
8 Timewise conducted pre and post pilot surveys to measure shifts across some key indicators. To gain more qualitative insights, it also conducted focus groups with a selection of the participating workers, and interviews with a selection of managers and senior stakeholders.
About Timewise
Timewise (timewise.co.uk) are flexible working specialists running a flexible working consultancy that helps employers design innovative solutions to attract and retain talented people, and create fair workplaces.
The consultancy is part of a wider multi-award winning social business, that shares market insights on flexible working and flexible hiring, conducts research such as the annual Flexible Jobs Index and runs campaigns and advocates for change on the stigma surrounding part-time and flexible work. It also runs Timewise Jobs (timewisejobs.co.uk ), a national jobs board for roles that are part-time or open to flexibility.
About Build UK
Build UK is the leading representative organisation for the UK construction industry. Bringing together Clients, Contractors, Trade Associations representing a wide range of Specialist Contractors, and other organisations committed to industry collaboration, Build UK represents in excess of 40% of UK construction.
About CITB
CITB is an arm’s-length body of the Department for Education and works to research the sector’s skills needs, fund training, and improve standards. It is paid for by a levy on the construction industry itself.
Wednesday June 9, 2021, London: Social enterprise Timewise has analysed what has happened to part-time workers during the pandemic – and found HALF have been ‘away from work’ (furloughed) or had their hours reduced compared to just one third of full-time workers.1
The report, entitled ‘The impact of COVID-19 on part-time employees’ is published today by Timewise and is the first in a series called ‘FAIR FLEXIBLE FUTURES’ that explains the impact COVID-19 has had on the livelihoods of people who need to work part-time, especially in everyday frontline jobs.
Timewise commissioned the Institute for Employment Studies to conduct this analysis.
Though the furlough scheme has been effective in keeping millions of employees in work and protecting them from unemployment, it is masking significant challenges, especially for those who work less than 35 hours a week (‘part-time workers’).
Nearly 1 in 42 employees in the UK are part-time. Many of these part-timers work in frontline and low paid jobs.
For many of these people, part-time work is a necessity to being able to work at all. Whether fitting work with raising children, elder care or a sickness or disability – often, full-time work is not an option.
Since early on in the pandemic, it has been clear that people working in part-time roles have borne the brunt of UK job losses, furlough and further reduction in working hours.
Timewise warns that those who need part-time work have no viable market in which to find a new job – just 8 per cent of UK vacancies mention part-time possibilities4.
Women, ethnic minority groups and younger people have suffered significantly more than their contemporaries in the pandemic. A key defining factor of many of them is part-time work.
Although the number of full-timers on furlough is high, it is significantly less as a proportion of the workforce compared to part-timers.
Though the jobs market is in recovery mode, it masks a crisis for those who need part-time work – and women in particular.
Many face two stark choices – become unemployed, or attempt to find a full-time job (called: ‘involuntary full-time work). Timewise says this is concerning because it is a precarious form of employment, unlikely to be sustainable for long due to factors such as childcare costs and needs.
Timewise’s Director of Development, Emma Stewart MBE says:
“Women – who have already been badly disadvantaged in this pandemic- make up the majority of people who need part-time work. With the furlough scheme set to end in September, part-time employees feel they are clinging on to jobs that will soon disappear – and cannot find new part-time jobs to apply for. They will effectively be locked out of work, because just 8 per cent of UK jobs are advertised with part-time options. We need a jobs recovery that is inclusive of people who need to work less, not just remotely. This is vital to prevent inequalities from widening further and the clock rolling back on gender equality.”
Tony Wilson, Director of Institute for Employment Studies says:
“This crisis has seen part-time employment fall at its fastest rate in at least thirty years, while the share of women working part-time has dropped to its lowest since records began. We think that there are two things driving this. First, part-time workers have been hit harder by successive lockdowns, with today’s research showing that they have also benefited less when lockdowns have ended. But secondly, we’ve seen more part-time workers take on full-time hours, either to make up for lost earnings from a partner or because they’re in the frontline of the pandemic, particularly in the NHS. Either way, the signs are that far from heralding a new era of flexible working, this recovery may see far fewer people getting the hours and the flexibility that they need. Today’s report also provides more evidence for why we need a new Employment Bill, to improve security for part time workers and strengthen people’s rights to work flexibly.”
Timewise is making a set of recommendations to government, off the back of this report9. Including:
THE RIGHT TO ASK FOR FLEXIBLE WORKING FROM DAY ONE: create legislation to formalise employees’ right to ask for flexible work without having to wait 26 weeks.
INCENTIVISE FLEXIBLE WORKING THROUGH JOB CREATION: ensure government funded employer creation schemes such as the green jobs deal, include requirements for new jobs to be flexible.
PROVIDE BETTER EMPLOYMENT SUPPORT FOR FLEX JOB SEEKERS: ensure that job brokerage schemes such as the government’s flagship Restart programme, provide bespoke support to job seekers who need flexible work so they have a fairer chance of finding it.
LAUNCH A CHALLENGE FUND FOR FLEXIBLE WORK: targeted at supporting a sector led approach to designing better quality part-time and flexible roles in industries where it is more operationally complex.
ENDS
For the full report, interviews & case studies contact Jo Burkill
jo.burkill@timewise.co.uk / 07960 472097
NB The Labour Force Survey does not ask specifically about furlough, but people on furlough are mostly likely to appear in the data as being ‘temporarily away from paid work’. However, not all individuals who were temporarily away from paid work during the pandemic would be furloughed employees, and there will be a minority of people temporarily away from paid work for other reasons.
Despite pandemic-induced mass flexible working, of the few jobs being advertised in the UK right now, 4 in 5 offer no flexible working options whatsoever, say flexible working experts Timewise, following unique analysis of more than 6 million job vacancies.
By flexible working, Timewise means anything other than full-time, workplace-only roles.
Increasing unemployment rates makes finding a new job hard for everyone. But flexible workers face an especially stark situation.
78 per cent of jobs being advertised in the UK make no reference to any type of flexible working options, whatsoever2.
Or to look at it another way, the proportion of job vacancies in the UK which DO offer flexible options, rose to just 22 per cent during the first national lockdown. This is an increase of just 5 per centage points from 2019, when the rate was 17 per cent.
Yet the numbers of people working from home rose from 6 per cent to 43 per cent in late March 2020, with levels dropping back to just 37 per cent by June3.
Timewise isolated a small sub-sample of 1,000 job adverts which do offer home-working, and also referenced the pandemic. More than half indicated these roles will revert to the office when possible, suggesting that some of the flexibility on offer to candidates right now is just short term. 4
Timewise warns that a widening gap between working reality and what job vacancies offer means rising inequalities will be compounded.
Low paid workers – the majority of whom work part-time, women, carers, older workers and those managing health problems, are all key groups known to already be disproportionately affected by the pandemic. 5 With so few vacancies being offered with flexible options, in the context of an already ‘decimated’ jobs market – those who need flexible working face being excluded from the race to find new jobs.
Timewise CEO Emma Stewart, MBE says: “The outlook for all jobseekers is stark but for those needing to work flexibly it is even worse. Women, carers, older workers & those with health concerns are currently at the greatest risk of becoming ‘flexcluded’ from work, as new ways of working fail to be reflected in employers’ recruitment advertising. We are calling on employers to simply adopt the same approach for job seekers as they are currently taking with employees, and to say so in job adverts. Whether offering remote working, or part time hours, or staggered start and finish times. We have a real opportunity as we rebuild the economy to finally create a level playing field for the millions for whom flex is now both a necessity and an expectation.”
Timewise’s annual Flexible Jobs Index research is supported by Aviva, EY, Lloyds Banking Group and the Recruitment & Employment Confederation.
Neil Carberry, the CEO of the Recruitment & Employment Confederation says: “Flexible working is vital to an economic recovery which leaves nobody behind. It’s great for businesses too, giving employers potential to build a more engaged and diverse workforce, which is essential for long-term success. As this research shows, building flexibility into jobs plans still has a way to go. That’s exactly what the UK’s professional recruiters are here to help with.”
Danny Harmer, Chief People Officer, Aviva says: “The way many organisations have responded to Covid-19 has bust some of the myths that existed around home working and proved that many types of work can be done from any location. Organisations need to think about what achieves the best outcome for employees, customers and the business. Allowing people to work flexibly in terms of where, how and when they work, and articulating this in job adverts, helps organisations attract a wider range of talent. Flexible working can have a positive effect on wellbeing too, which is good for everyone.”
Lynn Rattigan, the Chief Operating Officer of EY in the UK & Ireland says: ”At EY, our roles are advertised with flexible working possibilities by default. Flex empowers, it does not hold back. We recognise that’s the key to building a diverse, dynamic workforce.”
Fiona Cannon, Group Sustainable Business Director, Lloyds Banking Group says: “At Lloyds Banking Group we have incorporated agile practices our recruitment and now 93% of our jobs offer a flexible option. Not only does this create a fairer playing field, but it opens up new and diverse pools of talent to help us meet the changing needs of our customers.”
For more information, the full report & interviews please contact Jo Burkill:
press@timewise.co.uk
Published November 2020
1 The Timewise Flexible Jobs Index 2020 is based on analysis of a total of 6 million job adverts from over 450 UK job boards across 3 periods:
24 Dec 2019 to 23 March 2020 (the 3 months pre-lockdown);
24 March to 3 July 2020 (first UK national lockdown);
4 July to 3 Oct 2020 (the first 3 months of the first lockdown’s easing).
The data source is Gartner.
2 The proportion of jobs offering flexible possibilities rose to just 22 per cent during the first national lockdown. This is an increase of just 5 per centage points from the year before, when the rate was 17 per cent. Jobs were filtered using 17 keywords relating to different forms of flexible working. As our aim is to track progress in ‘quality’ permanent jobs, the following job types were excluded from the analysis: temporary jobs, self-employed, freelance, commission only. Additional data adjustments have been made to exclude job adverts where flexible working is mentioned, but not as an employee benefit.
3 Source: Alan Felstead and Darja Reuschke, Homeworking in the UK: Before and During the 2020 Lockdown.
4 Timewise looked at a sample of 1,000 home-working roles in the study, which also specifically referenced the pandemic. Of these 52 per cent stated the post-holder would revert to an office-based role when possible.
Analysis of a sample of home-working job adverts that referenced the pandemic
Home-working is permanent 36%
Intend to revert to office 52%
Unsure/unclear 12%
5 Evidence that women, carers, low paid workers, older workers and those with health problems are disproportionately affected by the pandemic:
Timewise (timewise.co.uk) are flexible working specialists running a flexible working consultancy that helps employers design innovative solutions to attract and retain talented people, and create fair workplaces.
The consultancy is part of a wider multi-award winning social business, that shares market insights on flexible working and flexible hiring, conducts research such as the annual Flexible Jobs Index and runs campaigns and advocates for change on the stigma surrounding part-time and flexible work. It also runs Timewise Jobs (timewisejobs.co.uk ), a national jobs board for roles that are part-time or open to flexibility.
Flexible hiring experts Timewise today reveal the number of part-time employees in manger-level or senior jobs in the UK has exceeded 1 million for the first time1.
Their numbers have increased by more than half (55 per cent) in the 8 years since Timewise started tracking the figures.
Part time executives now represent 1 in 6 people in manager-level and senior roles in the UK (16 per cent)2.#
| Salary (FTE) + | No of UK part-time workers |
| Over £20,000 | 3,450,000 |
| Over £30,000 | 1,700,000 |
| Over £40,000 | 1,007,000 |
| Over £50,000 | 569,000 |
| Over £60,000 | 360,000 |
1,007,000 UK employees now work part-time & earn at least £40k FTE. £40k FTE is set as a benchmark, as this accounts for roughly the top 25 per cent of earners in the UK. Many people within this bracket have ‘manager’ or ‘senior’ in their job title.1
Above the £40k+ FTE level, the numbers of
part-time employees begin to fall sharply as salary rises. There are 569,000 employees earning over £50k
FTE+ 3.
Timewise says that whilst flexible working is hitting its stride – there remains a ‘ceiling’ on the availability
of part-time structures in the very mostsenior roles.
Showcasing the talent of
people who are working part-time and flexibly in Britain today, Timewise reveals
the winners of the 2020 Timewise Power
50 awards – 50 individuals who are working part-time or flexibly in very senior-level
roles. In all kinds of jobs. Who talk openly about their reasons for doing so.
A fifth of the winners this year are men (11 of 50) – a proportion that has
doubled since the very first Timewise Power 50 awards, in 2012.
Examples of winners include:
The Timewise Power 50 was launched to challenge those who believe part-time and flexible jobs only suit low-skilled roles with little responsibility.
2020’s list of winners, backed by EY, Diageo, Lloyds Banking Group, Dixons Carphone & Management Today magazine, also includes an award for businesses that have shown innovation in flexible hiring, and in flexible job design. This year won by the Cabinet Office, for its job share matching scheme, and to Figleaves, for its digital working model.
Timewise co-founder Karen Mattison, MBE says: “Just a few years ago, people were reluctant to admit they worked part-time for fear of being seen as less committed or ambitious. No more. With 1 in 6 manager and senior-level executives working less than 5 full days a week, it’s clear flexible working has hit its stride. Read the inspiring stories of our winners to get a sense of how they make such high-level jobs work, when you aren’t available every day of the working week. But a key challenge remains when it comes to flexible hiring – which is in its infancy. It’s time to fix the jobs market for this talented pool of flex execs – something we at Timewise are 100 per cent committed to. ”
Lynn Rattigan, EY’s Chief Operating Officer in the UK & Ireland, comments: “EY has supported the Timewise Power 50 awards for eight years, continuing to challenge the traditional 9-5 working week and highlight the value of flexible working. It’s positive to see a such a significant increase in the uptake of flexible working arrangements, signalling a real shift in culture change and perceptions.”
“This year’s Timewise Power 50 winners truly are inspirational role models for the workplace of the future, demonstrating that choosing to work flexibly should not limit your potential. Organisations that adopt a more flexible approach will reap the benefits of a broader talent pool, increase the diversity of their workforce, and be better prepared for the future of work.”
Elke Noels, HR Director GB and Europe Functions, Diageo says: “Congratulations to this year’s winners and to all those who entered The Timewise Power 50 nationwide!”
“At Diageo we aim to create a culture where all our people can thrive at work, supported by progressive policies and practices. We are committed to creating an environment where all our employees feel emboldened be their best at work and at home, excel in their careers and where work can be a fulfilling part of their lives.”
We are extremely proud to sponsor The Timewise Power 50, which is brilliant recognition of those who are leading the way as role models to champion inclusivity and drive a flexible working culture.”
Fiona Cannon OBE, Group Responsible Business, Sustainability and Inclusion Director at Lloyds Banking Group comments: “Lloyds Banking Group is delighted to again sponsor the awards and broader Timewise agenda and would like to congratulate all the entrants in this year’s Timewise Power 50. Everyone has demonstrated incredible achievements, whilst role modelling agile ways of working. The demands of the workplace continue to change, so it’s vital that all businesses recognise and value alternative ways of working. To meet the ever changing needs of colleagues and customers in the 21st century, we need to continue to evolve our working approach.”
Paula Coughlan, Chief People Officer at Dixons Carphone says: “Congratulations to those recognised in this year’s Timewise Power 50 list! At Dixons Carphone, we are proud to back our colleagues striving for a more flexible working culture by offering adapted hours and roles that can be carried out from home or outside the office. I’ve seen some excellent examples of business leaders who share their stories of flexible working and show no signs of stopping their continued achievements in the workplace.”
For more information please contact Jo Burkill:
t: 0207 633 4553 / m: 07960 472097 / e: press@timewise.co.uk
Published February 2020
1 Source: Data is taken from Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) – Estimates of hourly earnings excluding overtime and annual earnings by occupation for each percentile, UK, 2008, 2016, 2018 and 2019, available via ONS, which was last surveyed in April 2019. Paul Bivand, Associate Director, Statistics & Analysis at Learning & Work Institute analysed the data on behalf of Timewise. The top 25% of all employees (whether full-time or part-time) earn £39,130 (FTE) or more. Many jobs within the bracket contain the words ‘senior’ or ‘manager’ within their title. The current median part-time employee wage in the UK is £19,458 FTE. £40k FTE was also the same benchmark Timewise used when looking at the equivalent data in 2012.
2 Part time workers represent 16 per cent of all UK employees who earning at least £40k FTE, accounting for roughly 1 in 6 UK employees (1,007,000 of 6,345,000 people). Data is taken from Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) – Estimates of hourly earnings excluding overtime and annual earnings by occupation for each percentile, UK, 2008, 2016, 2018 and 2019, available via ONS, which was last surveyed in April 2019
3 Over £60k FTE there are 360,000. Beyond £60k FTE, the ONS advises extreme caution and suppresses some results on quality grounds.
Timewise (timewise.co.uk) are flexible working specialists running a
flexible working consultancy that helps employers design innovative solutions
to attract and retain talented people, and create fair workplaces.
The consultancy is part of a wider multi-award
winning social business, that shares market insights on flexible working and
flexible hiring, conducts research such as the annual Flexible Jobs Index and
runs campaigns and advocates for change on the stigma surrounding part-time and
flexible work. It also runs Timewise Jobs (timewisejobs.co.uk ), a national jobs
board for roles that are part-time or open to flexibility.
New research reveals that less than 5 per cent of front-line construction jobs offer any kind of flexibility when advertised – 10 per cent below the UK cross-industry average.2
Timewise (Timewise.co.uk), the flexible working consultants today launch the Construction Pioneers programme – a bespoke action research project looking at how to re-design jobs and shifts in site-based roles, to enable more flexible working in the construction industry.
The programme has been designed specifically for construction businesses that seek to maximise the productivity benefits of workplace flexibility and diversity. The first four trailblazing Construction Pioneers to take part, who will run live on-site pilots are: Bam Construct, Bam Nuttall, Skanska and Willmott Dixon.
Shift-based environments often have specific operating constraints that make it harder for employers to offer truly flexible jobs. Recent Timewise research found that less than 5 per cent2 of adverts for frontline construction jobs contain any reference to flexible working options when advertised. This falls 10 per cent points short of the UK cross-industry average (15 per cent). And yet there is key demand from the workforce for better flexibility.
The project will:
Insights from the project will be shared in a bid to help meet a range of goals in the industry such as improving overall wellbeing and mental health; helping tackle the long-hours culture; attracting a diverse talent pool, including more women, and retaining more men, particularly in later life.
Timewise’s Innovation Unit, which creates in-depth flexible working pilot programmes specifically for challenging sectors for flexibility, aims to work with the Construction Pioneers to trial new ways to structure and manage shifts.
Following a detailed diagnostic, the four Pioneers will undertake a 12-16 month guided programme including workshops and training sessions, and mentoring and consultancy support to help introduce better flexible working. These pilot case studies will help the development of an industry-wide toolkit.
Emma Stewart MBE, CEO and co-founder of Timewise, says: “Many people think flexible working in the construction industry, with its long hours culture, deadline-driven mentality and physical demands, is simply impossible. Timewise has been working with organisations in other industries, such as the NHS and the British Retail Consortium, who face similar challenges – and seen real change take hold. Improving flexible working is a key way in which to tackle a whole range of key workforce and skills challenges.We’re delighted to be working with our inaugural Construction Pioneers, Bam Construct, Bam Nuttall, Skanska and Willmot Dixon, and with Build UK, to test and share how to make flexible working truly work in construction.”
Suzannah Nichol MBE, chief executive of Build UK, says: “The construction sector has recognised, and acknowledged, that it needs to recruit and retain a much more diverse workforce to create the world we all live in and rely on. The challenge is to create a working environment that enables men and women from all backgrounds to realise their full potential in an industry offering a fantastic choice of rewarding careers whilst meeting their work life balance requirements. This is not something we can do on our own and Timewise is leading the way in enabling major industries to change the way they operate.”
Harvey Francis, Skanska Executive Vice President of Skanska comments: “We are delighted to be part of this flexible working pilot. For too long our industry has struggled with how working patterns outside of the traditional norm can be accommodated. This hasn’t helped us in our desire to attract and retain a greater diversity of people, which we believe is critical to our long term sustainability and success. A great opportunity.”
Andrea Singh, Executive Director of BAM Construct UK, said: “It has long been thought that making flexibility work on site is just too complicated. Our industry, however, has many creative teams and individuals who can solve the most challenging problems. Together we can, and will, find a solution.”
“People are increasingly looking for flexible work so they can balance their home and work life for a variety of reasons. There’s huge benefits to be gained for people who need this flexibility in an industry which is facing severe skills shortages.
“Our construction industry makes a positive difference to so many lives. As a leading contractor BAM believes the industry must provide more flexible working arrangements to attract and retain high quality, diverse talent to deliver the fantastic projects we are so proud of.”
“I am excited that BAM is part of this pioneering project and taking these first steps to reshape the future of our industry. We will all come to benefit from these essential changes.”
Alasdair Henderson, BAM Global Director HR Business Partnering, said: “At BAM we consider ourselves to be innovators, and we’re looking forward to breaking new ground for people in our industry. Discovering ways of working flexibly, that successfully support employees, will help people stay in construction and engineering careers, and open these opportunities up for more people, unlocking barriers to increase diversity.
I’m excited that BAM is part of this pioneering project to challenge the ‘norm’ and take these first steps to reshape the future of our industry. As well as benefiting individuals, these essential changes to increase flexibility and diversity, will allow teams to achieve better outcomes for our business, and value for our customers, as we create sustainable solutions.”
Clare Williams, Head of People Operations at Willmott Dixon comments: At Willmott Dixon we always put people at the heart of what we do. We believe that helping our people to achieve a balance between their working life and personal life is central to their wellbeing. We’ve already made great strides in our journey to embed agile working and our people are telling us that they are more supported to work agilely now than ever before, but by working together with Build UK and Timewise we hope to be able to build on this and see a real step change in our industry.”
For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact Jo Burkill:
t: 0207 633 4553 m: 07960 472 097 / e: press@timewise.co.uk
1Total number of employees at: Bam Construct, Bam Nuttall, Willmott Dixon and Skanska, based on figures given in September 2019.
2The Flexible Jobs Index by Timewise, 17 September 2019. The
Flexible Jobs Index 2019 is based on analysis of nearly 5 million job adverts
from over 450 UK job boards in the period January to April 2019. The data
source is Gartner and jobs were filtered using 16 keywords relating to
different forms of flexible working e.g. ‘part-time’, ‘flexible working’ ‘job
share’, ‘home working’ ‘term-time’ etc. The following job types were excluded
from the analysis: temporary jobs, self-employed, commission only, freelance.
Additional data adjustments have been made to discount job adverts where flexible
working is mentioned, but not as an employee benefit. UK cross-industry
average: 15 per cent of UK job ads contain any reference to flexible working
options. Of all frontline construction jobs advertised, less than 5 per cent
referenced any kind of flexibility within the ad itself.
3 There are 2.4 million construction industry jobs in the UK in Q3
2018, 6.8% of all UK jobs. Source: p.7, Construction industry: statistics and
policy report, available from the House of Commons Library, 27 December 2018,
available here https://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/SN01432#fullreport
4 Assessment by HPC and Duradiamond Healthcare, as published in The Guardian as part of a special focus on mental health in construction, 14 August 2019 https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/aug/13/no-more-man-up-better-mental-health-hinkley-point-c
5 1 in 5 construction industry workers are estimated to be over 55-years-old,. Source: Nomis, 2018, as quoted in CITB’s Fuller Working Lives report https://www.citb.co.uk/documents/research/fuller-working-lives-in-construction.pdf
6 Source: Fuller Working Lives in Industry, produced by CITB, October 2018: https://www.citb.co.uk/documents/research/fuller-working-lives-in-construction.pdf see p.11
Timewise (www.timewise.co.uk) is the UK’s flexible work specialist. Run by a team of innovative thinkers and opinion formers, we support employers to design flexible solutions that attract, retain and develop the best talent. From conducting research and creating programmes for change, to delivering market-leading training and consultancy, we’re on a mission to make flex the new normal. We also help match flexible hirers and candidates through our bespoke jobs board, Timewise jobs.
Build UK is the leading representative organisation for the UK construction industry. By bringing together Clients, Main Contractors, Trade Associations representing over 11,500 Specialist Contractors and other organisations committed to industry collaboration, Build UK represents in excess of 40% of UK construction.
One-year trial conducted with 240 nurses across 7 wards in 3 UK hospitals shows how team-based rostering improves work-life balance.
The “Improving nurses’ work-life balance” report is published today – detailing an innovative one-year pilot conducted with NHS nurses, designed and run by the flexible working specialists Timewise. The aim was to increase the amount of input that nurses have into their roster and improve nurses’ work-life balance.
The report found that ‘Flexible Working Arrangements’ or FWAs are currently ‘rationed’ with those who need flexibility due to childcare prioritised. This project took the view that all nurses have work-life needs of some kind, and that a more collaborative conversation about balancing everyone’s needs across the team was needed. A ‘lead team’ of nurses was established in each ward to identify the work-life preferences of every nurse on the ward, and then the roster was put together.
Only around
half (52 per cent) of all nurses in the UK are happy with their working hours right
now1 . With resignations
from nurses citing ‘poor work-life balance’ in the UK increasing 169 per cent in 6 years2 – establishing ways to improve work-life
balance has become a priority for many NHS Trusts and Chief Nurses.
In this innovative trial, the number of nurses who said their work life needs
were being met either ‘a lot’ or ‘fully’ increased from over a third (39 per cent) in the beginning, to more
than half (51 per cent)3 by the end.
Supported by The Burdett Trust, Timewise was invited into 7 wards, spanning 3 NHS Trusts, in a project involving 240 nurses,. The smallest ward had 12 nurses; the largest 45.
The three pioneering participating hospital trusts who took part are: Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital (BWCH), Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) and University Hospital Southampton (UHS).
Timewise has developed a team-based rostering system that increases the input nurses have in choosing and setting their shifts – and which shares the responsibility for covering any gaps between the team as a whole. The notion of parents being automatically prioritised for FWAs (‘Flexible Working Arrangements’) was discouraged. Instead, any reason was deemed ‘worthy’ of asking for a FWA, and the teams dealt with challenges and issues as a collective.
The team-based approach to rostering4:
One Ward Manager, who took part in the project says: “Implementing the new system took many hours at the beginning. But now, looking at the roster we just wrote, it took us just over an hour which was a real accomplishment and achievement.”
Dr Charlotte Gascoigne, who is head
of research and consultancy at Timewise says: “All the reports into the workforce crisis in the NHS
have one clear message – the inability to find and retain nurses is one of the
biggest threats we face. Even more so than budget cuts. From our years of work
across many sectors, we know that being able to input into your working pattern
– and the sense of control that brings – gives people better work-life balance.
This is challenging in nursing, where there
are immense clinical and financial constraints on what is possible in each
ward’s roster, so we are thrilled with the positive results from this trial.”
Shirley Baines, Chief Executive at the
Burdett Trust, says: “We supported Timewise to undertake this important
work because we know improving work-life balance is vital for increasing
retention and attraction rates in this vital workforce. We are pleased to see
the positive results.”
For more information please contact Jo Burkill:
t: 0207 633 4553 / m: 07960 472097 / e: press@timewise.co.uk
CASE STUDY AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST
September 2019
1 Institute for Employment Studies (2017) Royal College of Nursing Employment Survey
2 Labour party analysis by Jon Ashworth
found that nurse resignations for poor work-life balance increased by 169%
between 2011-12 and 2017-18 – a higher increase than any other reason https://labour.org.uk/press/labour-reveals-200000-nurses-quit-nhs-since-2010-party-commits-330-million-staff-training-development-tackle-retention-crisis/
3 Timewise
had 53 responses from these NUH & UHS, and 76 from BWCH. Therefore the
reported percentages are of 129 people for the post-pilot survey, but 53 people
for the comparison of pre and post surveys
4 The system is based on the principals of a wider framework Timewise has developed to try and introduce better work-life balance for employees in shift-based environments, across all industries. It states that the three elements required in order to attain a decent standard of work-life balance are the:
Timewise (timewise.co.uk) are flexible
working experts, running a flexible working consultancy that helps employers
design innovative solutions to attract and retain talented people, and create
fair workplaces.
The consultancy is part of a wider
multi-award winning social business, that shares market insights on flexible
working and flexible hiring, conducts research such the annual Flexible Jobs
Index and runs campaigns and advocates for change on the stigma surrounding
part-time and flexible work. It also runs Timewise Jobs (timewisejobs.co.uk
), a national jobs board for roles that are part-time or open to
flexibility.
Flexible working specialists Timewise today release their latest Flexible Jobs Index – the annual analysis of 5 million UK job ads, which reveals what proportion of UK vacancies offer flexible work – and at what levels of pay2.
Fastest growth has been seen in senior-level jobs. Instances of roles offering flexible work have TREBLED in 5 years3 – but the flexible jobs market as a whole remains too weak to meet demand.
Flexible working specialists Timewise today publish the latest Flexible Jobs Index: unique annual analysis of nearly 5 million UK job ads, which finds the proportion that offer flexible working options2.
At just over 15 per cent4, the proportion of flexible vacancies has grown slightly but this falls far short of the extreme demand in the UK with an estimated 87 per cent of employees wanting to work flexibly5.
The problem is particularly acute for workers trying to move from very low paid part-time jobs into middle-earning part-time jobs. More than one fifth of vacancies in the lowest pay band (under £20k FTE) offer flexible working options (23 per cent). But at the next salary band (£20k-£34K FTE), the availability of flexible jobs drops off to just 14 per cent6.
In other words, people get trapped in low paying part-time jobs – precisely because they need that flexibility in their jobs.
However, the Index suggests change is coming. The rate of growth in flexible jobs has actually been fastest amongst higher paid roles. In adverts for jobs paid over £60k FTE, the availability of flexible working has trebled over 5 years, from 5 per cent in 2016 to 15 per cent now3.
Timewise CEO Emma Stewart, MBE says: “The jobs market is completely out of balance for people who need flexible work. More roles are starting to become available at the top end, but for those in low-to-middle income brackets, the number of available flexible jobs is stagnating. This isn’t what a fair jobs market looks like. We need to inspire cultural change across the market and convince employers that flexible working, and in particular part-time work, can be hugely successful in all kinds of jobs types and industries that you would not expect.”
In a bid to challenge the notion that part-time and flexible only suit junior roles, Timewise today opens nominations for its 8th annual Timewise Power 50 awards, – which celebrate 50 highly successful part-time and flexible workers, as well as businesses that make an exceptional success of flexible working and hiring. Backed by EY, Dixons Carphone, Lloyds Banking Group and Diageo, nominations are open for 6 weeks, until Monday 4 November 2019 and the winners will be revealed to the UK press in early 2020.
Lynn Rattigan, EY’s Chief Operating Officer in the UK & Ireland, comments: “As we live in a 24/7 global culture and we have access to ever more available innovative technology that is evolving rapidly, working flexibility is becoming both an imperative and the norm. As such there is more that firms can do to support and embrace the change. It’s positive to see that there has been a slow but increasing trend in the number of jobs offering flexible options; flexible working is a key differentiator in the war for talent.”
“At EY, we strongly believe that to be competitive in the future, you need to be flexible that’s why we clearly state that our roles are open to flexibility; we recruit over 2,000 experienced candidates each year and every one of those vacancies is open to a flexibility; it’s part of our culture now.”
“The Timewise Power 50 list, launched today, is a fantastic way of promoting the flexibility message far and wide – flexible working has never been more pertinent as a business imperative, be loud and proud about flexible working in your organisation and your role models.”
Paula Coughlan, Chief HR Officer at Dixons Carphone says: “Timewise perform such a valuable role, supporting companies and individuals to realise the benefits of flexible working, and we’re delighted to continue supporting them. At Dixons Carphone we’re giving colleagues the flexibility they need to work around their lives, wherever they work in our business.”
Fiona Cannon OBE, Group Responsible Business, Sustainability and Inclusion Director at Lloyds Banking Group says: “We are proud to be sponsoring the Timewise Power 50 awards for the second consecutive year. At Lloyds Banking Group, we recognise that today’s business environment is changing dramatically, driven by changing consumer expectations, technological advancement, rapid globalisation and new societal values. New models of work are required to respond to this changing environment. Building agility into every aspect of how we do business is helping us create a workforce which can adapt quickly to change; with over 45% of our employees now working in an agile way. Isn the last three years, we have also increased the proportion of new roles we advertise with agile working arrangements from less than 10% to over 90%.”
Elke Noels, HR Director GB, J&B, D-Commerce and Europe Reserve at Diageo says: “At Diageo we are hugely proud of our culture and our progressive policies. We are committed to creating an environment where all our employees feel emboldened to do their best work, excel their careers and where work can be a fulfilling part of their lives. Now in its eighth year, we’re delighted to be supporting the Timewise Power 50 awards once again, encourage businesses nationwide to send in their nominations and wish good luck to all!”
For more information please contact Jo Burkill:
t: 0207 633 4553 / m: 07960 472097 / e: press@timewise.co.uk
September 2019
1 Timewise commissioned ComRes to survey 3,001 UK adults between 13 & 26 June 2017 for ‘Flexible Working: A Talent Imperative’. It found that an estimated 87 per cent of UK employees want to work flexibly. The Flexible Jobs Index released today has found that just 15 per cent of openly advertised jobs in the UK offer any kind of flexibility up front.
2 The Flexible Jobs Index 2019 is based on analysis of nearly 5 million job adverts from over 450 UK job boards in the period January to April 2019. The data source is Gartner and jobs were filtered using 16 keywords relating to different forms of flexible working e.g. ‘part-time’, ‘flexible working’ ‘job share’, ‘home working’ ‘term-time’ etc. The following job types were excluded from the analysis: temporary jobs, self-employed, commission only, freelance. Additional data adjustments have been made to discount job adverts where flexible working is mentioned, but not as an employee benefit.
3 Fastest rate of growth: the greatest percentage increase in the proportion of jobs offering ‘flexible working’, by salary band, has been seen in the two highest salary bands (£60k-79K FTE and £80k+ FTE) – see figures highlighted green below.
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
| £14k-£19k | 20% | 20% | 21% | 23% |
| £20k-£34k | 11% | 12% | 12% | 14% |
| £35k-£59k | 7% | 9% | 11% | 14% |
| £60k-£79k | 5% | 7% | 10% | 15% |
| £80k+ | 5% | 7% | 9% | 16% |
4 15.3 per cent of all openly advertised vacancies in the UK offer any kind of flexible working options within the ad itself, according to the latest Flexible Jobs Index.
5 Source: ‘Flexible Working: A Talent Imperative’, Timewise, 2017. An estimated 87 per cent of UK employees want to work flexibly. Timewise commissioned ComRes to survey 3,001 UK adults between 13 & 26 June 2017.
6 Slowest growth in availability of roles is seen in the two lowest paid salary bands (£14-19k FTE and £20-34k FTE), as shown in this table:
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
| £14k-£19k | 20% | 20% | 21% | 23% |
| £20k-£34k | 11% | 12% | 12% | 14% |
| £35k-£59k | 7% | 9% | 11% | 14% |
| £60k-£79k | 5% | 7% | 10% | 15% |
| £80k+ | 5% | 7% | 9% | 16% |
7 Proportion
of jobs advertised as being open to flexible working:
2015 9.5%
2016 10.6%
2017 11.7%
2018 12.5%
2019 15.3%
8 Proportion of all flexible jobs, by salary. As salary levels increase, the offer of ‘part-time’ options reduce. Conversely looser offers of ‘flexible work’ increase.
Part-time jobs Unspecified forms of flexible working
| £14k-£20k 73% 13% |
| £20k-£34k 57% 21% |
| £35k-£59k 38% 32% |
| £60k-£79k 22% 42% |
| £80k+ 27% 45% |
Timewise
(timewise.co.uk)
are flexible working specialists running a flexible working consultancy that
helps employers design innovative solutions to attract and retain talented
people, and create fair workplaces.
The consultancy is part of a wider multi-award
winning social business, that shares market insights on flexible working and
flexible hiring, conducts research such as the annual Flexible Jobs Index and
runs campaigns and advocates for change on the stigma surrounding part-time and
flexible work. It also runs Timewise Jobs (timewisejobs.co.uk ), a
national jobs board for roles that are part-time or open to flexibility.
Timewise unveils its 7th annual Timewise Power 50 Awards – featuring 50 people in top UK jobs who achieve EVERYTHING they do, part-time or flexibly
Tuesday 26 February, 2019: Timewise the flexibility specialists today unveil their fresh list of 2019’s 50 most powerful people working part-time and flexibly in the UK.
The 2019 Timewise Power 50 Awards provide a snapshot of what modern work in Britain is truly like and challenge the belief part-time work can’t mean ambitious, can’t mean highly successful and can’t mean senior.
From top engineers, to security chiefs and West End stars – this year’s list proves that part-time and flexible working has moved beyond being a concession for parents in office jobs, to the way people are working in all kinds of jobs and for all kinds of reasons.
This year, for the first time, the list celebrates two businesses that are entirely structured on four-day weeks (see below for case studies). 3 in 5 people in the UK now believe that a 4-day week ‘could become the new normal’, according to a poll commissioned by Timewise to launch the new list1.
Whilst usually dominated by mothers looking to fit work with family, this year’s Timewise Power 50 Awards, which is backed by EY, Dixons Carphone, Lloyds Banking Group and Diageo, features winners stating a range of reasons for needing flexible or part-time structures – in addition to or instead of those just citing childcare. These include:
JENNY LEGG AND CHARLENE FORD I The West End’s first actress job share I 42nd Street
PATTERN WORKED: CHARLENE – 3 SHOWS A WEEK, JENNY – 5 SHOWS A WEEK
In a first for London’s theatre scene, Charlene and Jenny shared the performance of an ensemble role in 42nd Street, at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Charlene and Jenny developed their arrangement after Jenny covered Charlene’s maternity leave. On her return, Charlene contacted Jenny over Facebook about splitting the 8-show a week role as a potential job share (they had never met in person). They agreed a pattern that allowed Charlene to spend more time with her son Jenson, and Jenny to take on teaching work at top dance schools such as Bird College and Italia Conti. Jenny also chose to support Charlene to: “‘pay it forward’ for female performers everywhere – who should be able to enjoy the continuation of their career after children”. The show has just closed and both are now moving onto their next projects.
CHRIS BRYANT I Commercial Lawyer & Musical Theatre Writer
PATTERN WORKED: 3 DAYS PER WEEK
As the head of BCLP’s Brexit taskforce, Chris is a leading expert and media commentator on the subject. This part of his role sees him working with clients from almost all sectors of the economy to prepare their Brexit strategies, from scenario and contingency planning to advocacy positioning. He also advises on large-scale competition and trade law investigations in the EU and UK, and is the lead partner on a number of multi-million pound competition damages actions. Chris works part time so he can focus on two personal priorities: looking after his 2 year-old daughter and writing musical theatre. His recent hit, Brexit the Musical, was shown at the Edinburgh Festival and is now in development for a nationwide tour.
21212 EDINBURGH I Michelin starred restaurant – reducing burnout through flexible working
21212 is Edinburgh’s only Michelin starred restaurant with rooms, and is becoming equally well-known for its innovative approach to working. Professional kitchens are stressful, high pressure environments, and drug, alcohol and mental health issues are all too common. It’s for this reason that 21212 Edinburgh’s co-owner and chef, Paul Kitching, has decided to operate on a four day working week. His staff will be paid the same as they were before the change, but will have an extra day each week to socialise, exercise, spend time with family and friends and, ultimately, enjoy a better work-life balance. Paul believes this will give his team the brain-space to be more creative and encourage a new generation of chefs to enter the industry.
THE MIX I Research agency decreasing pressure on staff by overhauling the working week
Founded in 2012, The Mix is a research agency with a focus on understanding human behaviour. It was this focus that made owner and founder Tash Walker acutely aware of the pressure felt by staff and clients to balance their workload with the rest of their lives. Tash therefore took the decision to move the agency to a four day working week, giving staff every Friday off whilst keeping them on full pay. Figures from the first year of this new arrangement suggest that revenues are up by 57%, client numbers up by 100% and staff absences down by 75%. Tash and her colleagues have subsequently produced a white paper, Four – What is it Good For?, to share what they did, how they did it and why it’s proved successful with other forward-looking organisations.
Timewise co-founder Karen Mattison, MBE, comments: “The Timewise Power 50 List has become a beacon of hope – shining a light on what’s possible in the working world. What’s clear this year, is that the so-called quiet revolution in the workplace has suddenly found its voice. The idea that part-time work is a ‘nice to have’ concession made for mums, has gone. With five generations all working alongside each other in the modern workplace, and working flexibly for all kinds of reasons, we are seeing a shift from individuals ‘making it work somehow’ to employers adjusting the structures and workings of their organisations to fit this societal shift. Whether that’s by offering more hot desking or re-scheduling the pattern of the business to offer shorter weeks. When we first started publishing our annual Timewise Power 50 list in 2012, we aimed to prove it was possible to work top jobs less than full time. This year, as every year – the case is proven. Now it’s time to help employers prepare for what the future workforce will want, and to ensure the market offers fair opportunities and easy access to part time and flexible workers.”
Lynn Rattigan, EY’s Chief Operating Officer in the UK & Ireland, says: “The career stories of those listed in the Power 50 clearly demonstrates to employees and employers just what is possible whilst working flexibly.”
“In EY’s experience, empowering our people to decide how, when and where they work helps them to achieve both their personal and professional ambitions. It can help to boost productivity, improve retention and develop employees with extra skills and experiences outside of the workplace.”
“A flexible workforce will be critical in the workplace of the future and our Power 50 role models are leading the way.”
Fiona Cannon OBE, Group Responsible Business, Sustainability & Inclusion Director, Lloyds Banking Group says: “We are delighted to be supporting the launch of the 2019 Timewise Power 50, to celebrate successful individuals who are working in an agile way and creating a path for others to follow. At Lloyds Banking Group, we recognise that today’s business environment is changing dramatically, driven by changing consumer expectations, technological advancement, rapid globalisation and new societal values. New models of work are required to respond to this changing environment. Building agility into every aspect of how we do business is helping us create a workforce which can adapt quickly to change.”
Assad Malic, Group Director of Corporate Affairs at Dixons Carphone says:
“While judging I was struck by the breadth of experience of the nominees, the different stories behind their flexible working decisions and by their incredible achievements – our congratulations go out to all this year’s finalists. We know that having a flexible culture helps to recruit and retain talented colleagues who bring energy and innovation to our business, while also acknowledging their important commitments outside of work. This is why we’ve been introducing more flexible options across all our functions for some time now – we believe this is the right thing to do and will lead to happier colleagues, happier customers and a happier business overall.”
James Dowling, who is responsible for Talent Engagement Europe at Diageo says:
“At Diageo we know that the success of our business depends on the success of our people and we’re firmly committed to creating an environment where all our employees feel included and able to perform at their best in all aspects of their lives. We are delighted to be supporting the Timewise Power 50 once again, which plays a vital role celebrating the incredible hard work and achievements of those individuals in the UK who make flexible working work for them. Congratulations to all who entered.”
For more on how the awards are structured and judged, please see below 2.
Please contact Jo Burkill:
t: 0207 633 4553 / m: 07960 472097 / e: press@timewise.co.uk
1 ICM Unlimited interviewed a representative online sample of 2,053 adults aged 18+, between 19 & 21 December 2018. Interviews were conducted across the country and the results have been weighted to the profile of all adults. ICM is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules. Key findings:
2 Structure of the awards and more info on the judging process – the judges were tasked with building a distinct list of 50 individuals or pairs of people who demonstrate significant achievement as flexible workers in the broadest sense – from those succeeding in part-time hours or as a job-share team, returning to the workplace after a significant career break, through to those who have used their own start-up status to determine their own flexibility.
Katie Bickerstaffe, is currently a Non-Executive Director of Marks and Spencer plc and is working on a project for SSE plc.
Lynn Rattigan, Chief Operating Officer at EY, UK & Ireland
Jo Morrell, Managing Editor, The Telegraph
Sophie Cornish MBE, Co-founder, notonthehighstreet
Assad Malic, Director of Investor Relations, PR & Corporate Affairs, Dixons Carphone
Fiona Cannon OBE, Group Responsible Business & Inclusion Director, Lloyds Banking Group
Sally Bundock, News Presenter and Financial Journalist, BBC
Janvi Patel, Co-founder and Chairwoman, Halebury
James Dowling, Head of Talent Engagement in Europe, Diageo
Karen Mattison MBE, Co-founder, Timewise
Emma Stewart MBE, Co-founder & CEO, Timewise
And the following two criteria against the specific categories listed:
Timewise is a multi-award winning social business, working to unlock the flexible jobs market in the UK. We share market insights on flexible working and flexible hiring, deliver training and consultancy to help businesses attract and develop the best talent, and conduct research such as our annual Flexible Jobs Index.
We also run Timewise Jobs, a national jobs board for roles that are part-time or open to flexibility.
Timewise is led by award-winning founders and Joint CEOs, Karen Mattison and Emma Stewart. They have been listed as two of the UK’s leading radical thinkers by the Observer newspaper and Nesta; named ‘Small Business Heroes’ by Management Today magazine and ‘two of the key social entrepreneurs to watch’ by Real Business magazine; and are winners of the Institute of Directors’ Women Changing the Business World award, following nominations from the UK public. In 2010 they were made MBEs for their services to social enterprise.
11 October 2018
Award-winning social entrepreneur Emma Stewart MBE today warns business leaders that the UK is ‘sleepwalking into a two-tier jobs system’ in which flexibility is only for those in office-based roles, who largely control their own schedules. Her response is to announce the creation of the Timewise Innovation Unit, designed to break down the barriers to Good Flexible Work in other sectors, on behalf of, amongst others, the ‘5.5m people1’ in the UK in shift work, including those in everyday frontline jobs such as nurses, retail assistants and warehouse workers.
With the argument that flexible working benefits business having been won, Good Flexible Work is becoming more common in certain professions and workplaces – particularly for office-based roles in which varied working patterns are easier to accommodate.
But for employees in hard-to-crack sectors, it’s a different story. According to new analysis of ONS labour market data produced by the Resolution Foundation for the new Timewise Innovation Unit, around 5.5m1 people in the UK are employed in shift-based roles. This accounts for one fifth of all UK employees (20 per cent). Shift workers tend to be on low-middle incomes and they make a critical contribution to the economy; without them everything grinds to a halt. But their working hours, rosters or timetables are often unpredictable and non-negotiable, making a decent work-life balance an unachievable aim.
The repercussions of this lack of proper flexibility are too serious to ignore. In professions such as nursing, the unpredictability of shifts makes some employees feel they have no choice but to give up work. Others, in sectors such as retail, end up stuck in lower-paid roles because they can’t take their flexibility with them if they progress. And there are others, such as teachers, who aren’t shift based, but for whom timetable constraints mean that flexible and part-time working is considered almost impossible.
In order to break down these operational barriers, Stewart today launches the brand new Timewise Innovation Unit, a ‘do tank’ that will pilot what Good Flexible Work should look like in these more challenging sectors. Its mission is to ensure that quality flexible jobs which work for both employers and employees (known as two-way flexibility) are available to all.
The Timewise Innovation Unit will take a practical approach, researching, trialling and testing different ways to design rosters, timetables and jobs themselves, so that flexibility and predictability are built in. The first 3 pilots will focus on:
Additionally, Timewise will partner with the Centre for Better Ageing on a major pilot looking at how to help retain and attract older workers by redesigning jobs so they can be worked flexibly. Timewise and the Centre for Better Ageing will trial new working methods with a pool of employers and report on the findings in 2020.
The Timewise Innovation Unit is headed by Emma Stewart MBE, the CEO of Timewise, and will be chaired by Gavin Kelly, CEO of the Resolution Trust. Members include:
Emma Stewart MBE, the head of the new Timewise Innovation Unit says:
“I’m concerned that we have a nation of forgotten frontliners, who have been left behind by the flexible working debates of the past 20 years. Why? Because ‘fixing’ flexibility for them seems like too big a challenge. These people are currently being failed by the rigid way we think about frontline work, which often leads to inflexible rosters and timetables and an all-too common lack of progression.”
“By re-imagining how jobs can be designed and work can be planned, particularly in a large team or shift-based environment, we can help move the flexible working revolution on from the office and into key frontline jobs. It’s time for change; I’m proud to announce that the Timewise Innovation Unit is fully focused on making this change happen.”
Gavin Kelly, the chief executive of the Resolution Trust and Chair of the advisory board for the Timewise Innovation Unit says:
“Better paid, higher quality, flexible jobs are core to improving living standards for a large swath of our workforce. That flexibility needs to be ‘two-way’ – benefitting both the employee and employer. And for that to happen employers need to innovate and learn from leading practice. Which is exactly what the Timewise Innovation Unit has been created.”
Adam Marshall, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, says:
“We need to find ways to maximise opportunities for flexible working in the UK, particularly to help small businesses access the widest possible talent pool and make best use of their skills. I look forward to serving on the Timewise Innovation Unit advisory board, and exploring ways to extend flexible working opportunities to everyone.”
Campbell Robb, Chief Executive of the independent Joseph Rowntree Foundation says:
“The lack of quality part-time jobs in the UK is locking many working families in poverty. Better flexible jobs can raise living standards of families and those who need to progress in work. I am delighted to be joining the Timewise Innovation Unit advisory board, to explore new ways to incentivise employers to create good flexible work for everyone who needs it. This is about finding solutions and ensuring that we all live in a society where work offers a route out of poverty.”
Austin Taylor-Laybourn, Grants Manager at Trust for London says:
“We are delighted to support Timewise’s work. The Trust is committed to tackling low pay and good, flexible work is the key to raising living standards for so many families – whether that means helping someone to progress in work or to find a new flexible job entirely. I’m delighted to be sitting on the advisory board and look forward to looking at ways to create ‘two-way’ flexibility with employers in sectors where this can be challenging”
Katerina Rudiger, Chief Community Officer at CIPD says:
Here at CIPD, we are committed to championing flexible working. It’s vital we find ways of equipping the HR talent of today and tomorrow with skills and resources to design better flexible jobs, and to manage this growing pool of talent. We have already been working with Timewise to build a network of flexible working ambassadors. We’re delighted to continue our work with Timewise by supporting them in this important new initiative.”
Sally Bucknell, Head of Diversity & Inclusiveness at EY, UK & Ireland, comments:
“At EY we have seen the benefits of empowering our people to decide how, when and where they work. By sharing our experiences and best practice, as part of Timewise’s Innovation Unit, we hope we can help to spark change in other industries to boost the UK’s flexible workforce. Engraining flexibility into our culture – the way we do business – has been key and will stand us in good stead in the workplace of the future.”
Sam White and William McDonald job share the role of Group Director of Public Policy & Sustainability at Aviva. Sam White says:
“At Aviva, we see flexibility as being key for people at all stages of life. Joining the Innovation Unit is about taking our experience and sharing it with businesses across different industries.” William McDonald says: “We are always keen to investigate new ways of making work ‘work’ for our people and we are happy to share how and why we do this. We want to support other employers so they can enjoy the benefits – access to brilliant talent, better retention and a dynamic, happier workforce.”
For more information or case studies, please contact Jo Burkill:
T: 0207 633 4553 E: press@timewise.co.uk M: 07960472097
1 Resolution Foundation analysis of ONS, Labour Force Survey April-June 2018. 5.5m employees in the 2nd quarter of 2018 worked said they worked shifts either ‘most of the time’ or ‘occasionally’, equating to 20 per cent of all UK employees (of whom there are 27.4m).
Timewise (www.timewise.co.uk) are multi award-winning flexible working experts who share market insights and campaign for a fairer flexible jobs market. Timewise also delivers training and consultancy to help businesses attract and develop the best talent, and runs Timewise Jobs (www.timewisejobs.co.uk), a national jobs board for roles that are part-time or open to flexibility.
Timewise is a social business and reinvests 100% of its profits to deliver on its social mission, enabling everyone to find the flexibility they need in their careers whilst maximising their value in the workplace.
