As part of our campaign to deliver #FairFlexibleFutures for people in everyday jobs, we’ve been exploring how a range of organisations have learned from, and responded to, the pandemic. Here’s what the team at Islington Council had to say.
Nicky Freeling is Head of iWork for Islington Council’s employment service and Dionne Gay is the iWork service development manager. Together, Nicky and Dionne look after Islington’s front-line employment coaches and job brokers.
Life before lockdown
Islington Council has always been a forward-thinking employer offering a range of working arrangements. The council’s culture is very proactive in encouraging open conversations around flexible working. However, flexibility is limited by role. Those working in front-line jobs have more rigid working patterns to meet Islington’s needs.
Before lockdown, the iWork service often met with employers and candidates to offer their employment services; understanding client needs, screening candidates and attending panel interviews. Flexible working hours were also limited by iWork’s call centre operating from 9-5pm. Someone was always needed to answer calls.
Reacting to the crisis
When lockdown was introduced, iWork started to work remotely. After understanding employee needs, Islington quickly distributed technical equipment to help create a proper home working environment.
As job brokers the team could still operate from home, conducting online client and candidate consultations. But as the line between home and work was blurred, Nicky and Dionne found their team were under increased pressure. Spending hours on calls and Zoom was not beneficial for employee well-being. They encouraged the team to have at least one hour a day without any ‘Zoom time’. This meant restructuring their working pattern and cleverly booking meetings.
Additionally, Nicky instructed her team to book a lunch hour in their diary to ensure they were taking adequate breaks. It also helped with team efficiency as employees could see when their colleagues were not available.
During lockdown, working hours also became more flexible. The focus shifted from working hours to output. With individuals with caring responsibilities and others juggling home-schooling, Dionne understood that everyone had different needs to work flexibly. The team were encouraged and supported to work the hours they could.
Supporting employees to keep working
On a company-wide level, Islington Council introduced measures to try and encourage work-life balance. There was clear and frequent messaging prioritising well-being and promoting “walking and talking”. The council stated that all meetings must start at five past the hour and end at five to the hour to avoid back to back meetings.
Within her team, Nicky set out clear expectations; the focus would be on output and well-being as opposed to hours and patterns. Nicky introduced a weekly team walk on Thursday mornings, encouraging her team to get some fresh air and take a photo of their view to share in their WhatsApp group. Nicky also managed an individual suffering from long Covid. Exhausted by normal hours, she suggested taking a break from 2-4pm to help the individual continue working effectively.
As lockdown began to ease, Nicky cycled to meet everyone in her team face to face. Abiding to government guidance they would sit outdoors and discuss work. These conversations helped employee engagement and encouraged open and honest conversation about how they were coping.
Learning from the experience
Dionne and Nicky have used lockdown as an opportunity to try new patterns of working in their teams. Recognising that simply lifting office behaviours into the home environment isn’t beneficial for employee well-being, they have encouraged their teams to capitalise on the benefits of remote working. For example, taking time to do a yoga class and making up the extra time when it suited them. The teams started to achieve a greater work-life balance and find new lockdown hobbies.
Moving forward, the council will continue to rethink where and when work can be done most effectively: employees will not have to return to a five-day week in the office, meetings that require a lot of travel will continue to be done remotely and hours will remain flexible to individual needs. This process is part of Islington’s pursuit to continue finding and developing smarter ways of working that enable their employers to work better.
Lisa Smith* is one of Islington Council’s employment coaches. Working in the health and social care sector, Lisa works collaboratively with both employers and candidates. As the pandemic staggered the job market, Lisa’s work has become increasingly important in helping those made redundant find new work.
Life before lockdown
Before Covid-19, Lisa worked in the office four days a week. With a progressive employer, Lisa could work flexible hours but it was often tailored to meet client needs. As part of her role, Lisa met face to face with both employers and candidates, to understand employment needs and candidate’s skillset and experience.
This working pattern did allow Lisa to achieve a good work-life balance. Lisa’s working hours allowed her to balance her home commitments, and left time for socialising with friends and exercising frequently.
Working through the crisis
When lockdown was introduced, Islington Council were quick to act with the introduction of home-working. At a serious and scary time, line-managers offered clarity and were clear that employee well-being was a priority.
There was an adjustment period in adapting to home-working. Lisa found she could work productively, delivering over 55 job outcomes at the height of lockdown. However, the biggest challenge was the feeling of isolation and detachment from the rest of the team. Over time and with the help of team catch ups, Lisa learned to enjoy the benefits of home working: making sure to watch her favourite cooking show and do daily exercise.
Lisa continued working similar hours as she enjoyed the routine and structure. However, Lisa knew that if she needed to take time out to reset, she was trusted to make up the hours when it suited her.
Support from employers
On a company-wide level, Lisa found Islington council’s messaging clear and transparent, navigating employees through uncertain times. It was clear employee well-being was the priority. Lisa could also request working from home equipment such as a bigger screen or desk chair. These small physical changes improved Lisa’s working environment.
At a managerial level, Lisa felt trusted and supported to work in a way that suited her best. Weekly ‘walk and talk’ meetings were helpful in boosting team morale and motivation levels, giving Lisa valuable time away from her desk. Lisa was also supported through weekly one to one meetings with a line manager. Honest and open conversations about well-being and workload meant Lisa could raise any issues. This frequent contact also helped reduce the loneliness of remote working.
Learning from the experience
Moving forward, Lisa would like to adopt a blended working pattern of home and office working. This experience has made Lisa realise how efficient and effective remote-working can be, reducing commute time and allowing for a better work-life balance.
Despite the pandemic, Lisa continues to enjoy her role and the diversity and challenges it brings. Islington’s culture of trust and the ability to work flexibly has enabled Lisa to continue working and delivering.
This case study is part of a series supported by The National Lottery Community Fund, as part of their Emerging Futures Fund
Click on the links below to read the other case studies in the series:
