Power List alumni Sam White and Will McDonald were already blazing a trail at Aviva with their job share arrangement when things got tough. And that’s when it really came into its own.
When Sam White took parental leave from Aviva in 2017, and his colleague Will McDonald acted up to cover the role, they assumed it was just temporary. Now, almost four years later, they’re a job share success story, and proof that this kind of arrangement can have a positive impact far beyond the everyday.
It was while Sam was away that Will started to consider job sharing. He was keen to support his wife’s career, and to be around for his children for more than just evenings and weekends. So he floated the idea with Sam, who was keen to explore a part-time arrangement for the same reasons, and they decided to pursue it.
SAM: “Will had proved that he was ready for the Group Director role while I was away, and I knew we could make it work from a chemistry point of view; we’d been colleagues for a number of years, before and during our time at Aviva. So we put our heads together to sort out the practicalities, and pitched it to Kirsty Cooper, our boss, who has been incredibly supportive throughout.”
At that time, there was no one else at director level working in a job share. The role involves a great deal of internal and external stakeholder management, so they knew they would have to get their Executives comfortable with the concept. They suggested a six-month trial, and took on the responsibility of making it work.
WILL: “We explained to Kirsty that we would use the six months to prove that we could deliver as a job share – and that if she and the team didn’t feel we were working to a high enough standard, we’d accept their decision. In the event, even before the end of the trial, our Exec team agreed that it was a success, with one member telling us they had switched from being a sceptic to a convert.”
The pair took advice on how to succeed as a job share, and developed a set of principles which they would adhere to. They agreed three areas in which they would come together for decision making – changes in strategy, hiring, and spending over a certain amount – and that for everything else, they would take individual decisions, but have collective responsibility. They also instigated a framework for a written handover, as well as having a verbal handover on their crossover day.
The response from their colleagues has been overwhelmingly positive, and Aviva colleagues who are exploring a similar arrangement come to them for advice. They were also successfully nominated for the 2018 Power 50. But it was in 2019 that they discovered an additional benefit of their arrangement – the ability to navigate an emergency.
WILL: “Out of the blue, I experienced what I later discovered was a mental health breakdown, and was signed off work. Sam immediately stepped up, working a four or four-and-a half-day week for six months, until I was sufficiently recovered, to start the transition back in. And I took that process pretty slowly; it was another couple of months until I was fully back in the role.”
Clearly, Will’s wellbeing was his team’s first concern; but from a purely business perspective, having the job share in place made everything much easier. Instead of having to draft someone in to take over his role, they had Sam in place to run things, with a bit of extra support. And although it meant Sam had to increase his days, it was something he was happy to do.
SAM: “One of the great things about a job share is that everything works both ways – there have been times when I’ve needed to step back a little and have been able to rely on Will to pick up the slack. I was also able to take on a secondment opportunity which I was offered this year, and once again, the business wasn’t negatively affected, because Will simply took over.”
So from a business perspective, job sharing works on a number of levels. It gives you two brains for the price of one, a double hit of fresh energy in the week, and double the amount of thinking time, or ‘toothbrush time’ as Sam describes it. It is also a powerful attraction and retention tool.
SAM: “We all know the issues about the lack of women on boards and the gender pay gap. And yet the default is still that women work part-time and men go back to their old arrangement when they become parents. Job sharing allows people who want to work less than a full week to stay at a high level, and progress further, in a way that part-time doesn’t; it’s important that more people, men as well as women, are allowed and encouraged to do it.”
And as a built in emergency and succession plan, it’s second to none.
WILL: Neither Sam or I are intending to leave Aviva, but if one of us did, the succession plan is in place; the other one could take over, or recruit another partner. That seamlessness is such a bonus for an organisation, and it really came into play when I was struggling. Being able to switch off totally, knowing Sam was in control, made my recovery much easier, and I’ll always appreciate that.”
There’s no question that Covid-19 has ripped up the rulebook on what normal work looks like. Whole organisations and sectors, including those that have previously been considered ‘un-flexable’, are now discovering what’s possible.
And while remote working is just one aspect of flexible working, what we’re seeing is a huge mindset change. 13 million people plan to ask for permanent flexible working arrangements once lockdown is lifted. Twitter have announced that their staff can work from home ‘forever’ if they wish. 40% of medium to large employers have suggested they will permanently increase remote working options.
A once in a lifetime opportunity to transform the way we work
It is becoming clear that forward looking organisations, who want to be seen as employers of choice, can’t afford not to develop their flexible working offer. But there’s a big difference between offering remote working at speed, and delivering sustainable flexible working.
Most organisations are still in the first phase, managing the remote working experiment as best they can. But it’s now time for leaders to start thinking about the second phase, to use what they have learned to develop truly flexible workplaces. And we are here to help bridge that gap.
From crisis to opportunity: our free Covid-19 support programme
At Timewise, developing sustainable flexible working solutions is what we do. We do it for organisations and sectors of all shapes and sizes, and we do it exceptionally well. So as Covid-19 took hold, we rolled up our sleeves and worked out a plan to help employers and their staff turn this crisis into an opportunity.
The result is From crisis to opportunity: redesigning the workplace, a free Covid-19 support programme for organisations and their staff. The programme includes a series of webinars for key organisations and sectors, and practical support for groups such as line managers, with more to come. You can find out more about the programme on our bespoke Covid-19 support page.
An important part of the programme, which is supported by Barclays LifeSkillls and Trust for London, will be capturing the learnings from this time and sharing them for the benefit of all. And that sits at the heart of how we work.
Why this matters – now more than ever
As a social business, all our work is underpinned by our central mission: to create fairer workplaces in which individuals can get the flexibility they need without compromising their value in the jobs market. We believe that getting this much-discussed ‘new normal’ right is will only happen if flex and fairness are built in. Here’s what we, as a society, need to do if we’re to make this happen:
If we don’t act carefully, some key groups, such as those who are juggling work and care, will miss out. Research from the IFS has shown that working mothers are bearing the brunt of the caring and homeschooling responsibilities, and the gap between mothers’ and fathers’ work patterns has grown since the crisis began. There’s a real risk that more working mothers may drop out of the workplace unless properly designed flexible roles (and not just juggling from home) are offered to all.
The Covid-19 crisis has rightly seen a growing appreciation of frontline workers, from NHS staff to retail employees. It’s important as we go forward with flex to remember that not everyone works in an office, and those who don’t are just as entitled to, and in need of, flexible working.
At Timewise, we specialise in tackling sectors which are hard to make flexible, with recent projects focusing on construction, nursing and teaching. This kind of work needs to continue more widely, to ensure that those who have protected us during Covid-19 are protected in return with fair working practices.
There have been some great examples of human leadership during the crisis, such as CEOs talking to staff about how lockdown has affected their mental health, leaders showing by example that it’s OK if your kids come on the Zoom call and managers empowering their teams to work at times that suit them. This open, positive attitude needs to continue, with bosses creating and delivering cultures in which flexible working is properly implemented, supported and celebrated.
Dishing out a laptop and a Zoom account is a short-term fix, not a long-term strategy. Designing truly flexible roles involves looking at where, when and how much work needs to be done, and it isn’t something you just know; line managers need to be taught how to do it. Our Covid-19 support programme includes a free introductory line manager’s toolkit; we also offer more bespoke training as part of our consultancy package.
Finally, creating flexible jobs isn’t enough. We also need to make sure they are advertised as such when companies start rehiring post-crisis, particularly as many of the people who have lost their jobs will need flexibility in any role they return to. It’s not just good for employees either; a recent study showed that employers who advertised their jobs as flexible saw a 30% uplift in applications.
We’ll be tracking the jobs market through our annual Flexible Jobs Index, with a particular focus on the post-Covid-19 landscape and the impact of this global remote working experiment.
If we come together and make all this happen, we really will have turned the crisis into an opportunity; for fairer workplaces, for more equal teams and households, for better mental and physical health. It’s going to take a lot of work – and will need industry and government support and funding – but it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that’s here for the taking.
Published June 2020
By Melissa Jamieson, CEO, Timewise
There’s no question that attitudes to flexible working have undergone a seismic shift as a result of the pandemic, and working practices are being transformed as a result. An IOD survey from April 2021 showed that over 60% of organisations plan to adopt hybrid working even after restrictions ease, and employee demand for flexible working is higher than ever, with more than 71% of UK workers saying they want flexible options to remain after the crisis has passed.
And yet, despite all the focus on new ways of working, attitudes towards flexible recruitment don’t seem to be adapting to match. The 2020 Timewise Flexible Jobs Index revealed that, even after the shift towards homeworking following the first lockdown, just 22% of jobs were being advertised as being flexible in some way.
So there’s a real opportunity here for forward-looking employers to offer potential candidates the flexibility they want – and reap the rewards.
If the success of a business rests on its people, attracting a talented, diverse pool of candidates is critical. And with demand as high as it is now, offering these opportunities up front clearly makes sense. Not only will it help put you at the top of candidates’ wish lists, it will also deliver a more committed, more inclusive workforce, and help close your gender pay gap.
And on a more macro level, flexible recruitment plays a vital role in enhancing your employer brand. By openly offering flexible working to candidates, you’ll send a clear message that you are an employer who prioritises employee wellbeing. You’ll show you understand what work-life balance actually means. You’ll also encourage candidates to believe that, if they join your company, they can bring their whole selves to work.
The knock-on effect of all of this is that the best candidates won’t just apply to work for you; they’ll actively seek you out. And with skills shortages on the rise, not to mention a growing sense that a ‘Great Resignation’ is coming, that kind of brand positioning will give you a real edge in the battle for talent.
So, how do you embed flexible recruitment into your organisation, and make sure everyone knows about it? Here are the four initial steps you should take:
Train managers to design and recruit for properly flexible roles
Employees are quick to see through ‘flexwashing’ – that is, implying that you’re up for flexible working without adapting your roles to make it viable. So make sure the jobs you’re advertising are designed so that they can genuinely be done on a flexible basis, and train up HR and line managers in interviewing and supporting your new recruits. If you need support with this, our consultancy team can help.
Make sure external teams are properly briefed
If you’re using a recruitment agency to help you in your talent search, it’s critical that they are on board with your thinking. They need to be clear that you are not just willing, but proactive about recruiting flexibly; otherwise all your hard work will be undermined. So:
Partner with flexible recruitment experts
An easy way to make sure your recruitment partners mirror your approach is to work with a flexible-focused jobs site, such as Timewise Jobs. As well as providing access to 90,000 high-calibre candidates, our team can help you phrase your position on flexible working in the most appealing way. And of course, posting your job on Timewise Jobs sends a clear message that you are an inclusive, flexible employer.
Speak out about your approach
Finally, once your flexible recruitment strategy is in place, and working, speak out about what you’re doing. Share stories about flexible workers on your website. Write up case studies of successful flexible recruitment campaigns and publish them on LinkedIn. Sponsor awards or campaigns, such as the Timewise Power 50.
Again, this is something the Timewise Jobs team can help with. As well as boosting your presence on our site with traditional display ads, we can help you build a microsite which links to your company profile, create a content strategy and deliver an email campaign. These elements all work together to ensure that your brand story is well put-together and clearly communicated.
As a candidate recently said to one of the Timewise Jobs team: “I’m hugely ambitious, but I also need to work flexibly, so I make sure I do my research before I start job hunting. If a potential employer isn’t openly mentioning a commitment to flexible working, I probably won’t be right for them – or them for me – so I tend to steer clear.”
The end goal of recruiting flexibly is that the best available candidates will seek you out and want to work with you. So don’t just sign up for flexible recruitment; prioritise it, and shout about it.
Published June 2021
By Emma Stewart, Co-Founder Timewise
Does flexible working improve productivity? That’s the question I was invited to consider by wellbeing specialists Carnegie Trust UK, for their collection of essays, Can Good Work Solve the Productivity Puzzle?
The short answer is yes, from what we know, but we need to know more. I’ll explain why below; if you’re interested in the longer answer, it’s chapter 15 in the collection.
So what do we know? Well, there is some (limited) data on the link between flex and productivity. A 2014 survey by BT found that the productivity of flexible workers increased by 30%. Similarly, a YouGov survey from 2015 suggested that 30% of office workers felt their productivity increased when they worked remotely. And in a study of flexible workers undertaken by Cranfield University[1], over 90% of managers said the quantity and quality of work improved or stayed the same.
Additionally, there is an argument for flexible working having an indirect impact on productivity, due to its direct effect on other workplaces issues. Flexible working has been shown to boost talent attraction, retention and progression, and drive inclusion and diversity. It also delivers better work life balance, with the knock on effect of supporting mental and physical health and wellbeing.
It’s therefore not a huge leap to assume that if you’re working fewer days a week, or in a job that fits with your life, you are likely to be more engaged. Or that working from home, with fewer interruptions, can increase your output. Or that hanging on to experienced, knowledgeable staff will help the whole team succeed.
Certainly, these assumptions have contributed to increased interest, and trials of, the four-day working week. A key early example of this, Perpetual Guardian in New Zealand, ran a pilot which they say revealed a 20% increase in productivity. And a number of companies in the UK have followed suit.
However, as I’ve explained in detail elsewhere, introducing a four-day working week isn’t just a schedule tweak. In frontline and shift-based sectors, such as teaching, retail or manufacturing, it is hugely complicated to introduce – or only possible to do so at a prohibitively high cost to the business.
So if the four-day working week isn’t the answer, what is? I believe there are two big steps we need to take if we’re to use flexible working to solve the productivity puzzle:
At Timewise, we’re already on this journey. We’ve led a number of research projects exploring innovative flexible options, in complex sectors such as nursing, teaching and retail. Right now, we’re piloting flexible working in the construction industry, and investigating the role that flexibility can play in supporting returners and older workers.
But to really embed this work, we need more social partnerships between business sector bodies and agents for change, backed by government and industry investments. That’s the way to take productivity to the next level, whilst delivering a happier, healthier workforce.
Published January 2020
[1] Cranfield University/Working Families 2008: “Flexible Working and Performance”
Nursing has been highlighted as ‘the most urgent challenge’ in the Interim NHS People Plan. Our year-long pilot has focused on improving nurses’ work-life balance by addressing their working patterns. And it’s delivered three key recommendations to tackle the nursing shortage head-on.
It’s well-known that the NHS is struggling to find and keep enough staff, but the numbers relating to nursing shortages are no less shocking for their familiarity. Nurse resignations for poor work-life balance have increased by a staggering 169% between 2011-12 and 2017-18, according to analysis for the Labour party. And the Interim NHS People Plan notes that the organisation will need to recruit 40,000 extra nurses in the next five years just to stand still.
As we know from our work in other sectors, offering flexible working is a sure-fire way to improve work-life balance. But in a shift-based, skills-driven, 24-hour environment like an NHS ward, it’s complex to introduce. As a result, most wards operate on a two-tier system in which a few, fortunate individuals have an agreed flexible working arrangement (FWA), usually for childcare reasons. Everyone else then has to fit around them, with minimal input and even less predictability.
Over the last year, we have been supported by the Burdett Trust for Nursing to explore potential solutions for making work-life balance available for all, and not just those with a FWA.
Our belief was that by increasing the fit between nurses’ working pattern preferences and their actual working patterns, more of them would stay. At the same time, we were mindful that any solution would need to work within the KPIs and mix of skills that ward managers needed to deliver.
So, building on academic research, and following a series of focus groups with participating hospitals, we piloted a team-based approach to rostering , with the aim of increasing the amount of input that nurses have into their working patterns, whilst taking into account the operational constraints of life on the ward.
A sizeable piece of action research, this two-stage project involved 240 nurses in seven wards across three NHS trusts. We ran the first, six-month stage at Birmingham Women and Children’s Hospital (BWCH), and used our findings to inform the second stage at Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) and University Hospital Southampton (UHS).
We began at BWCH by creating and training a lead team for each ward who were responsible for creating the roster (previously undertaken by the ward manager). Each lead team were allocated a subgroup of nurses and tasked with finding out their long-term preferences.
The lead team members then worked together to create the roster based on their colleagues’ input, making sure that unpopular shifts were spread fairly and that each shift had the right number of nurses with particular skills.
Following the completion of the first pilot at BWCH, we fed our learnings into the second six-month stage, across all three hospitals, and finished with a formal evaluation.
Our evaluation indicated that there were three main benefits to team-based rostering. A comparison of pre- and post-pilot data showed:
Other important findings include: the critical role played by the ward manager in making the new approach work; the need to choose the lead team members carefully, to ensure the right balance of skills; and the extra time (and so budget) required to train the teams and deliver the roster.
Overall, then, we are cautiously positive about the potential of team-based rostering; indeed, the teams who worked with us are continuing to create their rosters in this way. However, there’s no question that more work is needed so that other teams and NHS Trusts can benefit from what we have learned. And, given that most of the guidelines on flexible working in the NHS are not adapted for shift-based roles, it’s also clear that bespoke definitions need to be developed.
We are therefore making the following recommendations to bring about widespread change:
It won’t be a quick fix; these kind of changes take time, money and serious collaboration. But by taking action, we stand to gain a happier, healthier workforce who will stay within the NHS for longer. And given that nursing shortages are already at critical levels, there’s no time to waste.
Published September 2019
By Emma Stewart, Co-Founder, Timewise
First, the good news. This year’s Flexible Jobs Index, our annual report tracking the proportion of flexibly advertised jobs, puts the 2019 figure at 15%. In 2015, it was 9.5%, so the trend is continuing in the right direction.
But, but, but… it’s painfully slow, inching up by a couple of percentage points (or less) each year. If it continues at this rate, it will be a long time until the supply of part-time and flexible jobs matches the demand (which our research puts at 87%).
And when we dug deeper into the data, we uncovered some insights that employers who want to get the best from their workforce shouldn’t ignore:
While the highest salary bracket (jobs paying £80K FTE) has the fastest rate of growth, these roles are more likely to be described as ‘flexible’, rather than ‘part-time’. This may make it harder for key groups of employees to progress, particularly women who can’t work a full week. And that, in turn, can have a knock on effect on issues such as the gender pay gap.
There’s still a sharp drop in the availability of flexibly advertised jobs between the under £20K band (23%) and the £20K – £34K band (14%). This creates a structural cap on progression for many low-paid workers who have skills, but need to work flexibly. And it is certainly likely to make it harder for employers to build an inclusive, motivated workforce.
Finally, there are big discrepancies between the availability and growth of flexible opportunities in different sectors. In health and social services, for example, the percentage of flexibly advertised jobs far outstrips those of sectors such as construction and engineering. So it’s critical to have a sector-specific focus for any flexible working strategies you develop.
The chances are that at least one, if not all, of these insights are relevant to your organisation. So ignoring the data isn’t an option, particularly in an era of skills shortages and market uncertainty.
What’s more, offering flexibility up front may soon become a legal obligation. As I’m sure you’re aware, the government is consulting on proposals to support families, one of which is to give employers a duty to consider advertising all jobs as flexible.
So it would be well worth employers getting ahead of any potential reporting requirements, by taking steps to address the issues thrown up by this year’s Flexible Jobs Index sooner rather than later. In our view, they can’t afford not to.
Our consultancy and training team offer a range of services to help employers design, develop and deliver a flexible working strategy within a supportive culture. Please get in touch to find out more.
Published October 2019
By Cathy Halstead, Editor, Timewise
Here at Timewise, we are keen to share our flexible working expertise as widely as possible. But as we all know, the peer to peer viewpoint is also a highly useful resource. So we asked Justine Campbell, EY’s Managing Partner for Talent, UK and Ireland – responsible for attracting and retaining talent – to share what the firm has learned, and how it has benefitted, from the journey to a fully flexible culture. Here are her insights.
As our recent Power 50 awards highlighted, flexible working is no longer about people juggling caring responsibilities. People of all ages, from all sorts of backgrounds, are choosing to work flexibly for a wide range of reasons. The result, Justine believes, is that flexible working is no longer a nice to have; it’s becoming an expectation from prospective employees.
“In a 24/7 global culture, backed up by supportive technology, flexibility is becoming the norm. So any employer that wants to be truly competitive needs to have flexible working as standard. It’s a business imperative.”
It seems obvious, then, that making flexible working available to potential candidates should be part of a future-focused firm’s recruitment strategy. But being willing isn’t enough, says Justine.
“If you want to attract the best talent, you need to be prepared to shout about your approach to flexible working, not wait to be asked. And given the number of hires we make each year – over 2,000 experienced candidates in 2018 – this is something we take seriously.
“We state clearly that our roles are open to flexibility, and empower and challenge our hiring teams and line managers to deliver on this. For us, the key question is not ‘Can we make it work’ but ‘How can we make it work?’”
Similarly, flexible working has a big impact on retention; by offering people what they want, you’re more likely to keep hold of them for longer. And it doesn’t end there, according to Justine.
“We often say that you can’t put a price on flexible working. Speaking personally, I wouldn’t trade my flexibility for a salary hike; it’s worth too much to me. But at a firm-wide level, being able to hang on to talented employees is about more than just retention rates.
“For example, Michael Heap, who was a 2019 Timewise Power Climber, now works for us three days a week, to free up time to develop his own tech business (Tmup). This is teaching him new skills and developing his entrepreneurial abilities. EY and our clients will benefit from that as much as we do from his day-to-day experience.
Proactively offering flexible working to potential and current employees is also likely to lead to a more diverse workforce. And that has been shown to have a positive impact on the business as a whole, as Justine notes.
“It’s easy for businesses that don’t have diversity of experience to get stuck in their ways. In our world, we need a degree of professional scepticism, which we wouldn’t get if we only had identikit employees. Successful workplaces reflect the outside world, whether that’s in terms of gender, age or ethnicity, and flexible working has a key role to play in making that happen.
Clearly, formally defined arrangements such as part-time or annualised contracts need formal contracts. But Justine has found that incorporating informal flexibility into EY’s culture is also part of the solution.
“We think of it in terms of outputs – that is, what needs to be delivered by when – rather than focusing on how long people are sitting at their desks. So if one of my team wants to go for a run before starting work, or drive home before making a call to avoid the rush hour, that’s fine by me.
“As long as you trust your employees (and if you don’t, perhaps you should question why you employ them), you should be happy for them to work in the way that suits them best. In my experience, it makes people more productive, as well as having a positive effect on their wellbeing and loyalty.”
However, to make all these elements work together, there’s one factor that can’t be overlooked: the role played by an organisation’s leadership. As Justine explains:
“There are so many factors involved in making flexible working a success, from investing in technology and job design to championing role models and training line managers. It’s not just an add-on or a written policy; you have to embed flexible working into your company culture. And that’s not going to happen unless it comes from the top.
“We have members of our leadership team working part-time or flexing their hours in a variety of ways, and they’re very open about it. That kind of visibility is worth a huge amount; our leaders are not only setting our flexible strategy, they’re also showing by example that it can be done.”
As EY’s experience shows, a lot of work goes into creating a successful flexible working strategy. And, as Justine and the team at EY have found, it’s well worth getting expert support.
“We’ve been collaborating with Timewise on our flexible hiring strategy since we started on this journey and their support has been invaluable. They have set the standard for flexible working and will ensure you make a success of it.
“The fact is, if you want to be competitive in the future, you need to be flexible. The future of work starts now; get some support, make a start and make it happen.”
Now that flexible working has become more mainstream, we’re more likely to be found advising clients about how to make it happen than why they should do so. But it doesn’t hurt to have a reminder of how being flexible can benefit your business.
From finding and keeping the best people to cutting overheads, here are the reasons why forward-looking businesses are making flexible working a priority.
If you want to get your hands on the very best people in your industry, you need to take flexible working seriously. 87% of full-time workers either work flexibly already, or wish they could. The numbers are similar for men (84%) and women (91%). And amongst people who are not currently working, 93% want a job that includes some sort of flexibility.
But according to the 2023 Flexible Jobs Index, just 3 in 10 jobs are advertised with flexible working options. This huge gap between supply and demand means that offering flexibility gives you a bigger pool of candidates to choose from. It will also give you the edge over your less flexible rivals.
Once you’ve got the best people in, and spent time and money training them, it makes sense to try and keep them. And whereas financial incentives only tend to buy short term loyalty, real flexibility is harder to come by – and so more likely to encourage people to stay.
A survey by the CIPD1 backs this theory up, with 75% of employers saying that flexible working has a positive effect on retention and 73% saying it improves staff motivation. So, if you want to hang on to your star employees, offering them flexibility is a great place to start.
True flexibility isn’t a one-off negotiating tool. If you build it into every level of your organisation, you won’t just encourage your staff to stay; you’ll allow them to progress too.
By making flexible working available within senior and board roles, you’ll provide your flexible employees with a clear career pathway. This will allow your organisation to make the most of their skills and experience, rather than leaving them stuck in roles that don’t make the best of their abilities.
You’re also likely to increase the proportion of women at a senior level, which is known to bring a wider perspective into decision making, and to help close the gender pay gap.
The role that flexible working plays in improving female representation at senior level is also important from an inclusion perspective.
According to a report by McKinsey, gender-diverse companies are 15% more likely to achieve financial returns above their industry average. Given that most companies now have a formal inclusion and diversity policy, flexibility is a useful tool in improving your gender balance.
Flexible working can also support the inclusion of older workers, by allowing them to work for longer and ease into retirement. And it can help people with disabilities or mental health issues stay in work, by making it easier to balance their job with the need to take care of their well-being and attend medical appointments.
It’s often assumed that flexible workers are less engaged and less productive than their full-time peers. In fact, the opposite is true.
A survey by BT in 2014 found that the productivity of flexible workers increased by 30%. And in a study of flexible workers undertaken by Cranfield University2, 97% of managers said the quantity of work improved or stayed the same and 93% said the quality of the work improved or stayed the same.
Finally, although it’s an obvious point, it’s worth repeating: by allowing your employees to work remotely, you’re likely to have less people in the building at once.
This can allow you to reduce both your office space and your carbon footprint, and cut your business overheads significantly. For example, BT have stated that reducing their physical office space through flexibility has yielded global savings of £100 million a year.
But you don’t have to take our word for all this. Businesses agree, too: the 2015 CBI Employment Trends Report states that almost all businesses (94%) believe flexibility is vital or important to the competitiveness of the UK’s labour market and for prospects for investment and job creation. If you’re convinced of the why, and ready to start exploring the how, we’re here to help.
Updated January 2022
1 “Flexible Working Provision and Uptake”, CIPD
2 Cranfield University/Working Families 2008: “Flexible Working and Performance”
It’s increasingly understood that employers who take proper care of their employees don’t just get a warm feeling inside. The impact of positive well-being and engagement, on the individual and their performance, is no longer in any doubt. And flexible working has a huge part to play in making this happen.
To start with, it has been shown to support general mental and physical well-being, in a number of ways:
And here are some more specific examples of the positive impact it can have on employees:
For parents of small children, and people looking after an elderly relative, being able to flex around medical appointments, school runs and other logistical issues makes being a carer easier to manage.
When senior level flexible roles are made available, people who need to work flexibly are able to progress their careers, making best use of their skills and improving their job satisfaction.
In a Cranfield University[1] survey of flexible workers, 97% of managers said their quantity of work improved or stayed the same and 93% said their quality of the work improved or stayed the same. Achieving more within a flexible framework is likely to lead to increased job satisfaction.
All of the above make it more likely that flexible workers will be more motivated and happier. According to Dr Mark Winwood, a clinical director of psychological services, “The more control any of us feel we have over our working lives, the better we feel about work.”
It’s for all of these reasons that the demand for flexibility is at an all-time high. Our own research has indicated that 87% of employees either work flexibly already, or wish they could. And according to a survey by the Centre for the Modern Family, 23% of UK workers would be willing to take a pay cut in order to have more flexible working hours.
So if you want to recruit and retain healthy, motivated and productive employees, focusing on flexibility is a great way to start.
Published December 2018
Our enduring social aim at Timewise is to enable women and men to find the flexibility they need in their careers without reducing their value in the workplace.
Professional services firm Deloitte also shares this aim – providing a working environment where everyone is able to enjoy a successful career alongside a fulfilling life outside work. It is this shared aim that led Timewise and Deloitte to produce our Manifesto for Change.
To prepare our manifesto, a research survey was conducted amongst 1800 professionals working in the UK. The survey was followed up by qualitative research interviews with 12 business leaders.
Key findings from the research are shown below:
The survey identified several perceived barriers to flexible working, including outdated workplace cultures and attitudes that perpetuate the ‘flexibility stigma’. It’s clear that even when business leaders want to accommodate the flexible working needs of their employees, there is a gap between what is said at the top and how that translates to everyday working life.
Because the barriers to embedding flexible working are primarily cultural, success must go beyond a programmatic approach. Both the survey respondents and our interviewees told us that real change only comes when leaders challenge workplace culture and dismantle practices that are no longer fit for purpose.
Based on the survey results, we developed a Manifesto for Change. We want this to be a blueprint for attitudes and actions across UK organisations. We want business leaders to recognise that getting flexible working right will drive success in their business. We want them to share best practice and be brave in trying new approaches.
The following five manifesto actions are what we believe will accelerate workplace change, making it fit for today’s flexible workforce:
Published May 2018
