Fairer Frontline Futures: Transforming shift work with flexibility and fairness

The context

From production lines, shops and deliveries, to cafes, care homes and classrooms, frontline sectors play a critical role providing essential goods and services in communities across the country.

Yet many employers in these sectors are facing an acute workforce crisis, as they struggle to balance operational requirements with changing staff needs and expectations.

Employees today are looking for roles that respect their time, wellbeing and lives outside of work. And yet in sectors delivering critical goods and services, shift patterns are often at odds with this. So how do you design flexibility into these roles to match what people need with service delivery?

Through its Fairer Frontline Futures programme, Timewise is working with a range of employers in Scotland to make changes that reflect employee priorities, while also supporting improvements to staff recruitment, retention and engagement.

The programme 

Employers were able to take part in two programmes, each with fully-funded spaces, thanks to support from the Robertson Trust:

1. Our online development course 

This interactive, online programme provided senior leaders, HR professionals, operations and people managers with new knowledge, skills and strategies to improve job security, flexibility and balance for frontline staff, without sacrificing performance.

They learnt how to embed fairness into their hiring and shift design strategies, making their workplace more attractive and resilient. We provided practical advice and support to make the case for, plan for and implement changes that support health, wellbeing and business goals.

Modules included: 

• Understanding the case for change – including how to understand current practices and the impact on business and staff priorities.
• Designing roles for balance – including tools for preference-led rostering and key enablers such as input, stability and advance notice for shift patterns. 
• Moving from a reactive to proactive approach to flexibility – including how to open up vacancies to offer better flexibility, how to support managers to embrace flexibility and how to update HR policy and practice
• Action planning – getting ready to consider staff preferences when designing jobs and rosters.
• Follow on small group coaching – to support implementation of the action plans.

2. Becoming a ‘Pioneer Partner’ 

Three employers, Fife Leisure, ACS Clothing and Aberdeen Laundry Services, are accessing hands-on support to trial or implement new approaches that improve business performance and job quality in frontline sectors.

This includes:

• A bespoke diagnostic to understand the drivers of workforce challenges;
• An understanding of the role job flexibility, security and balance can play in driving improvements for staff and your organisation;
• Support to design and implement new solutions to staff recruitment, engagement and/or retention challenges – including measures that increase work-life compatibility for staff, such as changes to scheduling practices, shift patterns or job design.
• An evaluation to measure the impact on the staff and the business. 

Pioneer Partners are choosing to work with us to demonstrate that change is possible, showcase sector leadership, and ensure their organisation gains competitive advantage.

Who it’s for 

• This programme is designed for organisations and individuals working in sectors with frontline (public-facing, site-based) staff in Scotland, particularly employers in the hospitality and tourism, retail, logistics, cleaning, facilities management and manufacturing sectors and their supply chains.
• The online course was designed to benefit senior leaders, business owners, operations and people managers, team leaders and/or HR professionals, and anyone involved in job design, scheduling, recruitment or retention strategies in these sectors.
• The Pioneer partnership opportunities are for organisations that are interested in tackling workforce challenges and becoming an employer of choice.

Evaluating success 

All participants are committed to taking part in an evaluation to help us measure the impact of the programmes – delivered by our evaluation partner, Strathclyde University.

Read more about the impact of our programmes

Timewise has a track record in delivering training and practical solutions in different sectors that meet the rising demand to support greater flexibility, security and balance for staff. This includes work to change approaches to scheduling, shift patterns and job design in ‘frontline’ sectors that haven’t benefitted from the rise in hybrid and remote working.

Read more about this work here.

“The [Timewise] training has given me more confidence to be able to make different decisions – ones that are smart and more inclusive of everyone.” CMI Hybrid Working Participant, 2024

“I really liked the breakdown of the different types of flexible working and ideas on what to consider when designing flexible jobs for my team.”  Manager, Phoenix Group

“Working with Timewise on the Retail Pioneers programme has given us a rich understanding of the business case for flexibility in our stores, and the potential benefits for our people and our organisation.” Head of People Operations, Cook

“The flexible working trial has made me appreciate my job more, and, if possible, has made me even more loyal to Wickes, as I have the best work-life balance I have ever had in all the years I have been at Wickes.” Store Manager, Wickes

“With such positive results, particularly around diversity and well-being, Build UK will continue to champion flexible working and I would encourage other industry organisations to do so too. If you aren’t already having the flexible working conversation within your business, it is definitely one worth starting – I promise you won’t regret it.” Suzannah Nichol MBE, CEO of Build UK

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