Considering the request
When dealing with requests for any form of flexible working, it is important to consider the following concerns:
Considering your own perspectives
When managing an employee, it is important to understand your own response and views. In preparation it may be useful to ask yourself the following questions:
- Have you experience of flexible working?
- Do any other members of your team work flexibly?
- How well has this worked?
- Does the role under consideration have any limiting factors (eg client contact/ availability)?
- What are the implications for the rest of the team?
- If this has never been done before - are you willing to try it for three months and review how it works for all concerned?
In addition it is important to consider the following:
- Understanding the firm's policy and the legal requirements.
- How do you deal with the flexible work request - what is the practical process you should follow?
- What are the different types of requests that people might ask for eg term time working, annualised hours, part time, job share, working from home.
- Assessing the pros and cons of the flexible working request, for example:
- retention
- business requirements
- precedent
- contingency planning
- economics, cost savings
- loyalty and commitment of the flexible worker
- productivity of the flexible worker
- How can you safely refuse a flexible working request? Importance of understanding the organisations policy and guidelines for flexible working.
Implementing flexible working
How can you make it happen rather than how you can avoid it? For example, packaging the work differently.
- How can you make it work effectively:
- Flexibility
- Focus on output not hours. Effective measurement and reviews.
- Providing a safety net of a trial period for both sides. Research shows that some of the most successful flexible working has been implemented in roles considered least likely to succeed. Challenge your own assumptions.
- Remote access
- Meeting management.
- How can you manage the impact on the rest of your team?
Managing flexible working: long term strategies
- Flexibility is a two way arrangement.
- Business and client needs must come first.
- Active endorsement from the most senior people is fundamental detailing key.
- Clear definitions of roles and objectives.
- Have a framework of measurable results.
- Build in review periods to see how the arrangements are working.