Working Better: A managers’ guide to…Flexible Working

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Here for everyone, here for business Flexible Working Working Better: A managers’ guide to... Equality and Human Rights Commission Guidance

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This guide is designed to help business managers discover and implement innovative working methods which improve productivity and customer service, save money and enable employees to balance their work and personal lives. Introducing and managing new ways of working may seem daunting. But experience shows that it does not have to be that way and the rewards of doing it well can be huge. Taking the first step may be the most difficult part. This guide is here to help you. This guide covers: The business benefits that firms can achieve, Key principles for introducing flexibility, Advice on creating a flexible workplace, Key management skills required, Case studies of innovative working in large and small firms, A problem-solving Q&A for challenging situations

Transcript of Working Better: A managers’ guide to…Flexible Working

Page 1: Working Better: A managers’ guide to…Flexible Working

Here for everyone,here for business

FlexibleWorking

Working Better: A managers’ guide to...

Equality and Human Rights CommissionGuidance

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Researched and written by Alison MaitlandWith the help of the Equality and Human Rights Commission Working Better teamPhotographs by Andy Whitehead

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Introduction 3

Section 1: Business benefits 5

Case Study: West Bromwich Tool and Engineering Company 6

Case Study: BT 11

Section 2: Key principles 13

Case Study: Sainsbury’s 15

Section 3: Creating a flexible workplace 19

Case Study: National Grid 22

Section 4: Key management skills 25

Case Study: Clock 26

Section 5: Flexibility for everyone in all types of jobs 28

Case Study: IBM 30

Section 6: Problem-solving Q&A 32

Case Study: Addleshaw Goddard 36

Section 7: The impact on employees 38

Section 8: Useful links 43

Acknowledgements 44

Contents

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This guide is designed to help business managersdiscover and implementinnovative working methodswhich improve productivityand customer service, save money, and enableemployees to balance theirwork and personal lives.

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Your people are critical in ensuring customersatisfaction and delivering value. They are usuallymore committed and motivated to achieve what thebusiness needs when they have flexibility in theirworking arrangements.

Introduction

Giving employees greater control overhow, when or where work is done requiresa flexible, open-minded attitude frommanagers at all levels. It is not a softoption or a matter of ‘just being nice’. It is a business challenge. How you, as amanager, respond to demand for newworking patterns, and how you introducethem, will determine how successful theyare for your business and your people.

Introducing and managing new ways ofworking may seem daunting. Butexperience shows that it does not have tobe that way and the rewards of doing itwell can be huge. Taking the first step maybe the most difficult part. This guide ishere to help you.

The guide covers:

The business benefits that firmscan achieve

Key principles for introducingflexibility

Advice on creating a flexibleworkplace

Key management skills required

Case studies of innovative workingin large and small firms

A problem-solving Q&A forchallenging situations

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Britain’s labour market depends on flexibility forsuccess. British companies, especially small andmedium-sized businesses, have a reputation forclient-centred service.

Section 1Business Benefits

Cost pressures, especially in tougheconomic conditions, mean thatbusinesses must ensure all their staff aremotivated and focused on creating valuewhile at work. Holding onto experiencedand skilled staff is also important tomaintain quality and contain costs.

Building on this, the best employersrecognise the benefits of two-wayflexibility to ensure they can providequality services when customers needthem. New ways of working have spreadrapidly over the past decade, driven by thedemands of the 24/7 economy andtechnological advances.

There is also legislation to help peoplemanage their jobs and caringresponsibilities. Parents’ top priority forimproving work life balance is to have awide range of flexible jobs. The law givesthe ‘right to request’ flexible working toparents of children up to and including theage of 16, parents of disabled children upto 18, and carers of adult relatives.

Employers must consider requestsseriously and give objective businessreasons if they have to turn them down.

More employers are now voluntarilytaking action to encourage new ways ofworking, not because of the regulationsbut because flexibility is widely seen asgood business practice that can benefitcompanies and employees. They aremaking alternative working arrangementsavailable to all their staff when there is agood business case for doing so. This helpsto create a fairer working environment foreveryone. It also gives managers apowerful tool to respond to bothcustomers’ and employees’ needs.

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Case Study

West Bromwich Tool and Engineering Company

An adaptable businessmodel

This Midlands engineering business, witha turnover of around £6million, is part ofthe car industry supply chain and has torespond quickly to changing customerdemands.

‘Our employees have to respond to ourneeds by being flexible,’ says owner StuartFell. ‘They also need us to give themflexibility because they have families andrelatives and live in the real world.’

The firm makes pressed metalcomponents, such as parts for instrumentpanels and seats, for large manufacturerslike BMW and Nissan that operate 24hours a day. They employ about 100people with nearly 50 different workingarrangements that change over time, as aresult of regular discussions between staffand supervisors.

‘On paper, it seems very complicated, butit works very well and the company andemployees each get what they need,’ saysFell. ‘Most importantly, this adaptable andever changing arrangement has proved tobe capable of producing high performanceand is not complicated to manage. I couldname employees who would not work forus were it not for the flexibility we offer. I also know there is business we have wonbecause we have been able to respondquickly to a customer demand.’

The two-way dialogue with employeesproved helpful when the firm had to moveto a four-day week, putting everyone on80 per cent pay, for three months duringthe 2009 recession. ‘It comes down tohaving a relationship that’s based on trust.When we told them these wereextraordinary circumstances and thingswere bad, they really understood that itwas serious and necessary and believedthat we were telling the truth.’

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Stuart Fell, Owner, West Bromwich Tool andEngineering Company

‘I also know there is business wehave won because we have beenable to respond quickly to acustomer demand.’

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The business has four shifts on the shopfloor, where some employees start at 6amand others finish at 10pm. Three teamleaders, two men and a woman, arecontracted to work 39 hours per week. Atleast one must be on site until 5pm andhas to be available to respond instantly if acustomer calls out of hours with a problem– which can be at any time of the day ornight. In return, they can vary their startand finish times to fit in with theirpersonal lives.

The firm’s 12 clerical workers have a widerange of start and finish times, and somework term-time only, to suit theircircumstances and the needs of thebusiness. The firm’s three directors alsowork a variety of hours. Two are full-timeand one part-time.

Not every proposed arrangement isworkable, and flexibility has to involveboth sides. ‘Sometimes people need tocome in early or stay late to get somethingdone,’ says Fell. ‘The team leader has tohave a constant dialogue with the teamand find a way to make it work.’

Employees approach their supervisors ifthey want to vary their hours, and betweenthem they come to an arrangement. ‘It’ssomething I encourage because it worksand people value it. On occasions we haveconsciously made suggestions to people towork flexibly.’

The firm offered flexibility to one engineerwhen he and his wife started a family –even before he realised he might need it.‘We thought: we don’t want to lose him toa competitor. If we offer him flexibility,he’s going to have a job he can’t replicatebecause, particularly for men, mostemployers don’t offer flexibility.’

Fell says it is crucial for companies toadapt to the wider changes around them.‘We’re moving from a command-and-control society to one where people willexpect to be flexible. It’s a big, longprocess but one which managers need tobe tuned into. The organisations that don’tadapt will end up the dinosaurs. Theywon’t be able to move fast enough orrecruit people to work for them.’

Key lessons:

Flexibility is a two-way arrangement

Business and customer needs come first

Support from the top is essential

Clearly define people’s objectives

Delegate rather than control

Start with a trial period to see if it works

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There is extensive evidence of the businessbenefits of new ways of working in bothbenign and tough economic times (see‘How business benefits’ page 10). Flexibleworking arrangements can cut costs, boostproductivity, motivate people and releasemore potential. Most employers who haveintroduced flexible working say it has hada positive impact on the business,according to a British Chambers ofCommerce survey.

Many companies have used flexibilitycreatively to respond to recession,enabling them to cut costs while retainingskilled staff. This avoids the expense ofhiring and training people again when theeconomy recovers.

Reduced-hours working in its manydifferent forms (part-time, job share,term-time working etc) can be used toredistribute work across more posts andavoid redundancies. For example,electronics and audio company RicherSounds encourages its staff to move to afour-day week when business is slower.

Businesses can struggle to keep staffengaged and loyal when wages andbonuses are frozen. Offering more time off– even at the expense of pay – can be away to maintain morale.

In the 2009 recession, nearly two-thirds of employers were introducing orconsidering changes to working patterns –and using flexible working in particular –to cut costs and retain staff, according to aCBI survey. Here are some examples:

Most staff at KPMG, one of the bigaccountancy firms, volunteered to worka four-day week or to take a sabbaticalon reduced pay if necessary, so the firmcould avoid big job cuts.

Fairline, a luxury yacht builder, askedsome employees to work a two-dayweek temporarily, while offering them60 per cent of normal pay on non-production days.

The Financial Times newspaperoffered staff an extra week or more ofholiday at 30 per cent of pay.

Honda closed its Swindon car factoryfor four months. When workersreturned, they agreed to cuts in pay andhours.

Law firm Norton Rose asked staff tovolunteer to work four-day weeks ortake sabbaticals on reduced pay toavoid job losses. Most agreed, andhundreds moved to shorter weeks.

Response to economicups and downs

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How Business BenefitsIf managed well, flexibility leads to:

Better performance:

Increased efficiency and productivity

Improved customer service cover

Staff understanding each other’s roles better

Greater employee satisfaction andloyalty

Cost savings:

Higher staff retention, lowerrecruitment and training costs

Reduced absenteeism, overtime andworkplace stress

More efficient use of office space

Better people management:

Enhanced reputation as an employer

Access to new talent pools

Better succession planning

Environmental benefits:

Less commuting by employees workingfrom home or satellite offices

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Office costs DOWN: £500millionreduction in property portfolio

Productivity UP: Home workers up to30 per cent more productive than officecolleagues

Call-centre service cover UP: customersable to contact BT when convenient tothem

Quality UP: Home-based call centreoperators give comparable or betterquality responses than office colleagues

BT is a pioneer of flexible working, havingintroduced it more than 20 years ago as a business strategy. Over 75,000 of its86,000 UK employees work flexibly insome way, from senior managers tocontact centre employees; nearly 17 percent of staff work from home.

Flexibility has achieved these businessresults:

Absenteeism DOWN: 20 per centreduction among home-workers

Travel DOWN: reduction of 1,800years in employees’ commuting time,saving 12million litres of fuel

Case Study

BT

Measurable results

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Helen Webb,Retail HR Director, Sainsbury’s

‘Flexible working is paramountin retailing. We have to haveconversations with people atleast twice a year about movingtheir working hours to fitchanging trading patterns. What’simportant in these conversationsis being very clear about the “why”without dictating the “how”.’

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To make a success of flexible working, follow thesekey principles, which apply to both employers andemployees:

Section 2Key Principles

Flexibility is a business toolIt is about managing the head countand workflow effectively to achieveresults for the business. It works bestwhen it improves performance andcustomer service. Get it right and it is awinner for the business, customers andemployees.

Business and customers comefirstEveryone should be entitled to make acase for working flexibly, but there willbe situations where a specificarrangement will not work because ofcommitments to customers. Where thisis the case, look at other options thatmay work better for all sides. Manageclient expectations from the outset.

Different arrangements work fordifferent types of businessThere is no one-size-fits-all solution.Rigid off-the-peg arrangements are lesslikely to work. The best workingarrangements are tailored to the joband individual.

Flexibility involves give-and-takeResponsibility for making it work mustbe shared by employees and managers.Together you need to assessopportunities and challenges in anyproposed arrangement openly andhonestly.

Leadership is essentialYou need to have buy-in from seniormanagers or directors to implementworkable solutions that benefit thebusiness. Individual managers musttranslate this support into tangibleresults for their teams.

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Additional resources can make itworkYour role as a manager is crucial insecuring the resources for change, ifthey are needed, for example by seekingadditional IT equipment and support.

Presence does not equalperformanceIt is important to judge theperformance of flexible workers bymeasurable results and outcomes, notby how many hours they work or howlong they stay in the office.

Arrangements are not foreverNew working patterns need to beflexible enough to respond to businessrequirements. In all cases you need tomaintain a dialogue – both sides shouldkeep the possibility of change alivethrough regular review.

Flexibility can work for all Do not make assumptions about whowill and who will not want to workflexibly. Most employees will respondpositively for a range of reasons beyondchildcare or other caring commitments.

Avoid penalising people’s careersEmployees choosing flexible workingshould not suffer in terms of careerdevelopment. Business need,performance and skills should be thebasis for promotion. As new jobopportunities arise, employees andmanagers should discuss and decide thelocation and hours of work required.

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‘It was more of a pull than a push style ofmanagement,’ says Singh. ‘We felt thatmaking the bakers understand the reasonsfor the change was the most importantfactor in making them willing to accept thechange. The key messages throughout theprocess were all about “improving thedepartment and the service to ourcustomers”.

‘We took their thoughts and feedback intoconsideration. The team members wereencouraged to have quality debates,leading to insightful decisions. During theinitial consultations, a framework was setup for the flexible working hours. Thisincluded two late shifts for each baker perweek. Surprisingly, this was quitewelcomed by the bakers as it gave themthe opportunity to do something besideswork when they were on late shifts, andthe same when on early shifts. Beinginvolved in the whole process made thebakers more enthusiastic about thechange.’

Shoppers today want to be able to pick upa fresh loaf of bread at any time. Bakers inSainsbury’s stores mainly used to workfixed night hours so that warm bread wason sale only first thing in the morning, andintermittently through the day.Responding to customer demand meant achange to the bakers’ established hours,which had long fitted their personal lives.

One of the first stores to make the changewas Camden, north London. Instead ofsuggesting or imposing a big change inworking hours, store manager ZiggieSingh sat down with the 15 bakers andexplained what the business was trying todo. He asked how they would achieve it ifthey were the management team.

Bakery manager Lawrence Ijejh and histeam of bakers went away and came upwith a flexible system of two to threebaking shifts a day to maintain a regularsupply of fresh bread. They also agreed torotate their hours each week so that noteam member had to change permanentlyto a new shift that did not suit them.

Case Study

Sainsbury’s

Bakers rise to businesschallenge

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After the change was made in 2007,bakery sales increased by more than 65per cent in the first year. They arecurrently up 12 to 13 per cent year on yearin the Camden store, says Helen Webb,Retail Human Resources Director forSainsbury’s. Employee satisfaction in thebakery has risen 10 per cent since thechange, to 93 per cent.

‘Camden was a catalyst and it’s theexample we’ve used in every bakery in thecountry, where we’ve made the samechange,’ says Webb. ‘Flexible working isparamount in retailing. We have to haveconversations with people at least twice ayear about moving their working hours tofit changing trading patterns. What’simportant in these conversations is beingvery clear about the “why” withoutdictating the “how”.’

The supermarket group has recentlyinvested in developing managers’ skills,with particular emphasis on the need toearn commitment and respect fromcolleagues. This means treating people asindividuals, listening to them andinvolving them in change.

In difficult economic times, having a large,flexible workforce has an additionalbenefit, she adds. It enables the companyto respond easily to requests for differentworking hours when employees’ personalcircumstances change. They may, forexample, want to increase their hours iftheir partner has lost their job. ‘In mostcases that would be possible.’

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Lawrence Ijejh, Bakery Manager, Sainsbury’s

Managers asked Lawrence and histeam of bakers to help establish aframework for flexible working.

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Working Better Guidance

Start with business

challenge/response toworkforceReview

Implement

How is work

organised now

Options for change

Measure/evaluate

Formulate proposal for

change

Get buy in/negotiate

change

Consult and involve team/

customers

Communicate

Creating a flexible workplace

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Section 3Creating a flexibleworkplace

1. Where to start

Whether it is an immediate businesschallenge, a longer-term improvementin performance, or an individualrequest for different working hours,greater flexibility can provide asolution.

First identify the needs of the business,customers and staff, particularly in thepart of the company that you manage.Could you achieve better results withmore flexible working arrangements?

You can see how employees mightbenefit but are not so sure about thebusiness benefits. Ask yourself: wouldthis help to attract and retain skilledstaff and keep them motivated?

Examine the way work is currentlyorganised. Are there peaks and troughswhich could be handled more efficientlywith more or fewer employees availableat different times?

Could customer service be improved bylonger opening hours, with employeesstaggering start and finish times? Could you save on office space or makebetter use of equipment by enablingemployees to work remotely part of the time?

2. Making it happen

Discuss the flexible approaches possiblewith the whole team and involve themin how work will be accomplished,customer needs met, and productivitymaintained or improved, and whatcommunication will be required.

Give them the opportunity to makesuggestions and raise concerns. Theyusually know what would work best, soexplain what you want to achieve andask the team to present ideas forchange. Delegate, do not dictate.

An effective approach is to give teamsresponsibility for devising their ownflexible working solutions to achieveimprovements for the business (seeSainsbury’s page 15). As the manager,you will need to set the parameters –what cover is required, what mix ofskills is needed at different times, howthe team will communicate with eachother, how problems will be resolved.

You will need to build an open, trustingenvironment in which everyone feelsthey can benefit. You will need to manageand measure performance, providefeedback and communicate consistently,while keeping an eye on how to improveworking arrangements further.

This section gives you the six key steps to introducingand managing flexible working successfully.

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Make sure you get support andpermission to make changes to workingpatterns both from senior managersand individuals. You may need to makea business case for change, and for thenecessary resources, to your seniorteam. It may also require carefulnegotiation with individuals who maybe unwilling to change workingpatterns.

Try a pilot first to gauge the benefitsand iron out any problems beforeeveryone commits to it.

3. Creating the right environment

Businesses often find it works best toopen up flexible options to everyone,not just those with young children orcaring responsibilities. Arrangementsbased on the business case rather thanan individual’s personal circumstancescan be fairer for the whole team.Remember, though, that employeeswho choose to follow the ‘right torequest’ procedure must be treated inaccordance with the legislation. (Formore information on this, go towww.businesslink.gov.uk and look for‘Flexible working – the law and bestpractice’, under the section EmployingPeople – Work and Families.)

Many businesses, particularly smallerones, offer a great deal of informalflexibility, which is often important toindividuals because of short-termchanges to arrangements. This creates apositive climate in which employees aremore likely to be flexible in return, forexample by putting in extra time whenthings are busy. But there will be timeswhen you need to formalise longer-termworking arrangements, and a well-communicated, company-wide policymakes sense.

You may believe a particular job cannotbe done flexibly, but keep the optionsopen for yourself and the individual.There may be an alternative workpattern which suits you both. If youturn down a request on businessgrounds, be clear about your reasonsand prepared for the possibleconsequences. Try to find acompromise. If you are dependent onthe employee, consider who has theskills to replace them in the event thatthey decide to seek work arrangementselsewhere better suited to their needs.

4. Measuring performance andresults

Clearly set out what you expect peopleto achieve, and to what deadline,whether for a short-term project or fortheir regular job. Discuss yourexpectations with them. Agree any corehours when they have to be in theworkplace, how you will appraise andreward them, and how you willcommunicate with each other.

You may need to redefine how youmeasure employees’ effectiveness andproductivity. Focus on what employeesproduce and the potential impact oncustomers, not on how many hours theyspend at work.

Set firm dates at the outset to reviewarrangements and ensure they areworking for all concerned.

Decide how to evaluate the effectivenessof the arrangements, for exampleimpact on customer relations,recruitment, absenteeism andproductivity. Then work out a methodfor monitoring these and reporting backregularly both upwards and to the team.

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Managing remote workers does nothave to be more complicated but doesrequire consistency and transparency.Good management principles apply andyou need to be confident you canmanage what you cannot see. Beconsistent in arranging and carrying outappraisals. People working away frombase can feel isolated. Keep in regularcontact, and involve them in socialactivities to maintain good relationshipsand to ensure they don’t feel ‘out ofsight, out of mind’.

Flexibility needs to work for allconcerned and trust is the key. If youfeel things are not working out for someindividuals as well as they should be,tackle this head-on and resolve anyproblems quickly.

5. Communication

Talk to all your staff and keep reviewingthe arrangements. Do not be afraid tomake suggestions for change – and donot assume that an individual’sarrangements are set in stone.

Have an open discussion about howflexibility affects people’sresponsibilities and how they can becontacted when they are away from theworkplace. Keep customers and yourmanagers informed of progress andseek feedback on the improvements youand your team have achieved.

6. Lead by example

Changing culture in an organisationtakes time. Work with other managers tostructure senior jobs more flexibly andshow it can be done. Use recruitment andpromotion opportunities to redesign jobsand open them up to flexible working.

If you’re working flexibly yourself, you’llneed to:

Make clear when and how you will be available – mobile, email etc – and what your team should do in an emergency

Set out what your expectations are of the team

Set an example by sticking to your flexible arrangement as far as possible

Delegate and trust people – think about who can deputise for you and how this could be a development opportunity for them

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There is a ground rule that someone mustbe in the office every day – so while manystaff work flexibly, not everyone can workfrom home on Fridays.

Managers working flexibly must tread afine line between being available andbeing a good role model, she says. ‘There’sa perception among employees thatmanagers say they’re working flexiblywhen in fact they’re working all the time.You have to be quite disciplined and showthem that the reason you’re not in theoffice is because you need to do somethingelse that day between 4pm and 6pm. Sodon’t log in and check your emails until6pm.’

The same applies to managing flexibleworkers. ‘The key is setting the rules ofengagement and abiding by them as amanager,’ Mahy says. ‘You may ask themif they’d mind checking their emails lateone day, but don’t expect them to do it allthe time. If they start doing it all the time,stop them. Conversely, if people areabusing flexibility, you have to come down very hard on them and be seen to be doing so.’

The Company Secretary’s department, whichservices the board and top management, isnot usually a flexible place. At National Grid,which runs gas and electricity transmissionnetworks, Company Secretary Helen Mahybelieves she is an exception in workingflexibly and encouraging her team to do so.

‘This is perceived as a traditional area andthere’s a view that you have to be wherethe board is and where the managementand head office are,’ she says. ‘Yes, you do– but you don’t all have to be there at thesame time.’

Mahy, who in her dual role as GroupGeneral Counsel and Company Secretaryhas around 180 staff in the UK and US,works half a day each week from homeduring the winter to deal with domesticarrangements for a few hours beforereturning to work in the evening. ‘If therewas an emergency I wouldn’t do it, but ithelps my work-life balance and I keep mydiary clear.’

A senior colleague she recently appointedalso works from home from time to time.About half her UK team of 70, from recentgraduates to more mature staff, have sometype of formal or informal flexibility. Thishas helped to recruit and retain skilledpeople, she says.

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Case Study

National Grid

Finding the right balance

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Helen Mahy, Company Secretary,National Grid

‘The key is to trust people to workresponsibly.’

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Syd Nadim, Chief Executive,Clock

‘We’re in the top 100 new digitalagencies, we’re successful andwe’re making money whilecreating an environment forpeople to enjoy their lives.’

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Section 4Key management skillsThis section is to help you think about the skills youhave and the key skills you may need to develop inorder to manage people flexibly.

Communication skills

You need to keep talking to people,whether or not they are in the workplaceall the time. Asking them how things aregoing and seeking their views on businesschallenges will show you continue to valuetheir contribution. Good communicationis needed to negotiate change, review workarrangements and suggest improvements.

Planning and organisation

As a manager, you are responsible formeeting business goals and getting results.The organisation of resources is yourdirect responsibility and control remainswith you. With a team working differentschedules, you need to plan meetingscarefully and find times when you knoweveryone can be present. Try using video-conferencing or teleconferencing if it ishard to get everyone together. You mayneed to agree core daily hours, or a fixedtime each week when everyone is expectedto be there for meetings and handovers.

Managing by output

It is important to set clear expectationsand objectives and check regularly onpeople’s progress in meeting them, but notto ‘micro-manage’ them. Measure theirperformance on outcomes rather than thehours they spend at work. Avoid judgingthem on their reasons for working flexibly,provided they get the job done. (See IBMcase study page 30.)

Trust and delegation

Some managers feel they are losingcontrol if employees are not under theirwatchful eye. Flexibility involves givingindividuals responsibility and trustingthem to get on with the job. (See Clockcase study page 26.) You may need todelegate responsibility for how results areachieved – what matters is that you get theright results.

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university degree. ‘The remote workinggave me just the flexibility I needed, I was treated like a person and givenresponsibility which gave me theopportunity to shine.’ He has since beenpromoted to studio manager.

Everyone is equipped with a laptop andbroadband at home so they can work therewhen necessary, for example while waitingfor a special delivery. Syd Nadim, ChiefExecutive, says flexibility is good for hisclients, the business and employees.‘We’re in the top 100 new digital agencies,we’re successful and we’re making moneywhile creating an environment for peopleto enjoy their lives.’

With government funding, Clock investedin advice from Business LinkHertfordshire to draw up policies onflexible working, part-time working,remote working, and career breaks /sabbaticals. ‘One of the biggest challengesis perceptions of fairness,’ says Nadim. ‘Ifone person gets one thing, other peoplesay “Why can’t I have that?” Havingpolicies makes it fair, workable, replicableand enforceable.’

Clock is a small, award-winning digitalagency employing about 30 people. Mostof the employees are men and most workflexibly. The firm designs and buildswebsites, develops brands and createsonline marketing campaigns forcompanies including BBC, Channel 4,Football Pools, JD Wetherspoon and News International.

Based in Hertfordshire, Clock finds it canpay its highly skilled people lower salariesthan some of its competitors because itoffers them a better quality of life. Theflexible working arrangements are apowerful recruiting and retention tool: thefirm has only had five leavers in 11 years.

It operates ‘core hours’ of 12 pm to 2 pm toensure most people are in the office duringthe daytime. Apart from that, individualsare given objectives and deadlines and thefreedom to achieve these the way theythink best. Clients may contact them ontheir mobile phones. Flexible hours meanthe office is staffed from 8am to 9pm.

Web designer Rob Arnold was able towork remotely while completing his

Case Study

Clock

Fair rules for everyone

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He recommends:

Making sure everyone in the teamunderstands that his or her workingarrangement, whatever it is, impacts oneveryone else.

Trusting people and giving themresponsibility. ‘If you really trust peopleand really rely on them, they are morereliable and trustworthy. If they know

you don’t really trust them and you’vegot a “plan B”, it’s easier for them to letyou down,’ he says. ‘Let go and watchhow well other people can deliver andperform.’

Being firm and fair in applying therules: if someone abuses your trust,take swift action to show them and theteam this behaviour is not acceptable.

Rob Arnold, Web Designer,Clock

‘The remote working gave me justthe flexibility I needed.’

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Section 5 Flexibility for everyone in all types of jobsPeople often think of flexibility as something forworking mothers. In reality, it takes many forms,benefiting businesses in a wide range of sectors andindividuals at every stage of their lives or careers.

Demand for flexible working is growing.Customers want responsive service, oftenround the clock. More and moreemployees want balanced lives – fathers aswell as mothers, older as well as youngerworkers, people who are caring forrelatives, and people who want time topursue further study or a personal hobbyor interest.

Some jobs appear more suited to flexibleworking than others. However, even jobsthat have to be done at fixed times or infixed places can accommodate forms offlexibility that work for the business andemployees.

When considering new working patterns,first ask yourself:

WHEN does the work have to be done?Does it have to be done at a particulartime of day to respond to customerneeds or production processes? Or canit be done at any time, provided certainobjectives or targets are met?

WHERE does the work have to bedone? Does it depend on being in aspecific place, or could it be doneanywhere, provided the employee hasthe necessary IT and other resources tokeep in contact and deliver to target?

Here are three innovative examples ofhow flexible working can be applieddifferently in different sectors and types of jobs:

Axiom: No fixed abode

The legal profession has a reputation forlong hours and inflexibility. Yet legal workoften does not need to be tied to a place ortime. Technology has encouraged theemergence of new firms like Axiom Legal,which provides tailored services forcorporate clients in the US and UK but hasno big offices and few overheads. Itslawyers have flexibility about the clientsand projects they take on, and whetherthey work from home or clients’ offices.Axiom says the low overheads mean itsfees are about half what a traditional firmwould cost, making them morecompetitive.

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McDonald’s: Shift swapping

To help employees juggle work and familylife, McDonald’s launched a FamilyContract in 2006, enabling two familymembers who work in the same restaurantto cover each others’ shifts without priornotice. The scheme was extended tofriends in 2007 and re-launched as theFriends and Family Contract.

BT: Phone home

Call centre operators do not have to be incall centres. In Scotland, BT hastransferred some call servicing toemployees based at home, where they areequipped with telephone and internetconnections. This ‘homeshoring’ providesemployment for people unable to go out towork, for example carers or disabledpeople. The home-workers do severalshort shifts a day, with breaks in between,which respond to typical peaks andtroughs in customer calls.

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She says it is important to give peopleresponsibility. ‘I have often said: “it is upto you when, where or how it is done – solong as it is on time, it is good and theclient is happy”.’

She is flexible about her personal workingarrangement. She usually works threedays a week, but sometimes has to workfive to meet business needs. ‘I will swapthose extra days for time off in the schoolholidays, which is helpful to my family, soit is a win-win.’

She feels a responsibility to be available toher team. ‘I always tell them to call me ifthey need something that cannot waituntil Monday, but they only call me on mydays off perhaps 10 to 20 times a year.Sometimes it takes less than five minutesto clarify an issue, sometimes I have amuch longer discussion. It is my way ofensuring that my flexible schedule doesn’thave any negative impact on the team’sperformance – which means that I cancontinue to work flexibly. Keeping myphone with me is a small price to pay forthe freedom I have in return.’

IBM has more than 115,000 mobileemployees around the world. Managershave to be adept at communicating withpeople they do not see on a daily basis.

Alison Gregory is a Senior ManagingConsultant in IBM’s Human CapitalManagement Service in the UK. She haslots of experience managing people acrossdifferent locations. As a senior manager,she also works flexibly herself to have timewith her three children.

‘Managing people who work flexibly orremotely means that you just have to domore of what you should be doinganyway,’ she says. ‘You have to be morefocused on outcomes, better atcommunication, more explicit about yourexpectations, more regular about checkingthat work is going the right way. Youmight have to schedule short, but morefrequent, calls to chat with somebodyworking for you in another place. Teamcommunication won’t happen by accidentwhen you walk by someone's desk, so youhave to create that time deliberately.’

Case Study

IBM

Small price for freedom

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Alison Gregory,Senior Managing Consultant, IBM

‘I have often said: “it is up to youwhen, where or how it is done – so long as it is on time, it is goodand the client is happy”.’

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Section 6 Problem-solving Q&ACommon concerns for employers andmanagers are:

The likely cost of introducing new waysof working

Whether employees will act responsibly

How customer service will be affected

Here is a Q&A featuring different situationsto help you think through your approachto new ways of working, to consider theneeds of the business, customers and staff,and to find solutions that work for everyone.

Q1. We are only a small businesswith limited resources. Isn’t flexibleworking a luxury we can’t reallyafford?

A1. Introducing flexibility does not haveto cost a lot. Flexibility is rarely expensiveand often the simplest changes have themost impact.

Many smaller businesses already workquite flexibly and so you may have alreadyintroduced different ways of workingwithout any significant cost implications.

Working flexibly is not just about workingremotely or from home it also works forthose who have to be in a fixed place, afactory or office (see West Bromwich casestudy page 6). It’s not about a majorcapital investment, it’s about how you planand organise work to get the best out ofyour resources.

Q2. If I let employees work fromhome or work non-standard hours, I cannot control what they do. I amnot sure I can trust them to carryout the work. What should I do?

A2. As with any employer-employeerelationship, you need to establish anelement of trust. It is however often thecase that employees who have beenoffered the opportunity to work flexiblybecome more loyal to their employer andare willing to ‘go the extra mile’ in return.

If you’re worried about their performance,tackle that first. Otherwise, the blame for any subsequent failure of the newarrangements will be wrongly attributed to flexibility rather than to performance.That would jeopardise future efforts tointroduce greater flexibility.

If there are no performance issues, what’sholding you back? Start with a pilot if youare unsure. You will most likely bepleasantly surprised by the results. However,if anyone abuses the arrangement, you mustdeal with that swiftly and decisively for thesake of the business and the employeeswho are playing by the rules.

Q3. I am busy running my businessunit under heavy cost-cuttingpressure. I have one person on 80 percent hours, another on a three-dayweek, and a third working term-timeonly. This adds considerably to myworkload. Are there any shortcuts?

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Ask for their input in planning how workcould be done differently. Consider whatare the essential times that must becovered and think about the type of workthat needs to be done. Some jobs lendthemselves to working at home or can be done outside traditional hours, whileothers are best done when the office is lessbusy, for example systems maintenance.

Your staff may think of ideas you have notconsidered. You may have employees whowould prefer to work at different times,days or seasons from others. Employeeswith no children might prefer to workduring school holidays and take more time off during term-time.

You can, of course, refuse a request if itwill adversely affect your business. However,by involving staff, most employers can finda solution that works for everyone.

Q6. A key employee wants to changeher working hours so she can do acourse in business administration. I do not believe her job can be doneflexibly and I want her to be in theoffice between 8am and 4pm whenwe face the main workload of theday. What is the answer?

A6. Have you asked her when she can bein the office? Perhaps she can cover thesecore hours, but take some unpaid leavewhen she has course assignments tocomplete. How would you normally coverfor her if she was on holiday?

Try to negotiate a compromise. She is avalued employee and you risk losing her ifyou are completely unable to accommodateher request. Whatever compromise isreached, it must work for her, the widerteam, the business and your customers.

A3. If you manage these people the sameas anyone else in your team, includingsetting objectives and monitoring outputs,this should not add to your workload.Maybe you can adjust the way you managepeople so that it is less time-consuming for you. Weigh up the time it takes youagainst the productivity you get from your flexible employees – it may be timewell spent.

Q4. I know several of my team would like alternative workingarrangements, but our clients wouldnot be happy. How can I reconcilethese things?

A4. It is important that any changes workfor your clients. Quite often, clients arealso grappling with flexible working, andsharing experiences with others can bevery helpful.

Clients need certain things to happen atcertain times. If your team can workflexibly together, they may be able toensure these requirements are met, and behappier and more productive themselves.

Agree what the essential requirements areand see how you can meet them within theteam. Could some staff be on call, withouthaving to be in the workplace? Then takeyour proposals to your clients.

Q5. I want to offer flexible workingto my staff. But there are sevenpeople with young children in ourworkforce of 17 and I am worriedhow our small business will cope ifthey all want to work at differenttimes. What should I do?

A5. Be open and honest about thebusiness needs with the whole team.

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employee have worked out how to coverfor any time when he is not available, sothat his workload does not fall unfairlyon others. Third, consider if there arebusiness barriers to others workingflexibly and, if there are, whether they can be overcome.

If you have done all these, you can addresscomplaints fairly; explaining what theeligibility criteria are and what cover has been agreed. You will also have theinformation to consider and approve otherrequests – or to refuse them if they wouldadversely affect the business – and tonegotiate compromises where necessary.

Q9. To get on in this firm, you haveto give a bit extra. Two of my teamwork reduced hours and I don’t feelI can ask them to take on more. Atthe same time, I may be denyingthem the opportunity to shine andwin promotion. What’s the answer?

A9. Talk to them. Explain your dilemmaand see what they suggest. Do not ringfenceyour flexible workers and treat themdifferently from the rest of the team asthey may grow to resent this and you couldbe penalising them for working flexibly.

You may find that at this stage in theircareer they just want to carry on doingtheir current role. Or they may wantpromotion, in which case talk to themabout additional responsibilities theywould be willing and able to take on tohelp them to make a promotion case.

If they wish to continue working reducedhours, the additional responsibilities could be proportional. For example,if a full-timer takes on responsibility for building two additional account

How about a trial period for her workingdifferent hours? She will be keen to makeit work. Will you?

Q7. I am keen to encourageflexibility in my team, but I do nothave the support of seniormanagement. What should I do?

A7. Senior management backing isimportant. Try to understand theirconcerns. Are they about control, or cost,or quality? Is it just fear of the unknown?

What are the essential businessrequirements that you and your team haveto meet? Can you demonstrate to seniormanagement that they can be met byworking flexibly? Work out the benefits to the company – reduced staff turnoverand training costs, increased productivity,perhaps less office space required. Spellingthese out should help you to win theirsupport. You may then be able to run atrial in one area to test the benefits. Youcould also talk to customers who havemade it work, share this information withsenior management, and give them a copyof this guide.

Q8. I have just agreed to one of mystaff working a more flexibleschedule to accommodate his familyresponsibilities. Other employeeshave been complaining there is onerule for him and another for therest. How can I be fair to everyone?

A8. Flexible working will only be abusiness benefit if it is consistent and fair across the whole organisation.

First, it is important to have clear andrational criteria that apply to all cases.Second, ensure that you and your

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relationships, perhaps your part-timerneed only build one additional account.

Q10. One employee is stickingrigidly to her special workingarrangement and threatening agrievance dispute if I pursue myrequest for her to alter it slightly.What should I do?

A10. ‘Inflexible flexibility’ is a problem.Consult your HR department – or at least make sure you are familiar with thegrievance process in your organisation.Decide whether her behaviour would be acceptable in someone workingstandard hours.

Then sit down with her and explain clearlywhy you need her to be flexible. Ask herwhat is causing her concern. Does shehave particular commitments to meet, or

does she fear an attempt to change herhours is the thin edge of the wedge andthat you might want to make her workfull-time again? You may be able to allayher concerns or reach a compromise.

Q11. My team is increasinglyworking flexible hours and meetingdeadlines independently. They seemhappy. As the team leader, though, I fear that my job will becomesuperfluous. Am I right to worry?

A11. It sounds as if you are doing a greatjob. It is likely that flexibility is successfulin your team because of your skills, notdespite them. Just make sure that youshare the credit and make your boss aware of the great job that you and yourteam are doing. Are you ready to take onnew responsibilities? If so, this successcould be part of your case for promotion.

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The process:

There is no fixed approach to flexibleworking. Instead, the firm looks at the needsof the client, the firm, the team and theindividual.

It embarked on assessing how flexibilitycould work in practice by launching a‘Pathfinder’ pilot group of 15 volunteers in2007. This initial group included partners,associates, trainees, secretarial and supportstaff. They switched permanently to a newway of working, moving into a desk-sharingarea of the office with full IT support(laptops, Blackberries, mobile phones,printers, scanners) to enable them to spendmore time working from home, clients’offices and other sites.

Flexible working has now been rolled out inmany areas of the business. In August 2009,the firm started working in a totally openplan, flexible environment when it moved toa new building in London, where about athird of the staff is based.

Addleshaw Goddard is a UK law firm withoffices in London, Leeds and Manchester.Over half of the 1,300 employees arelawyers, and 60 per cent of all staff arewomen.

The firm aims to provide the best possibleservice to clients while promoting aworking environment where people arevalued for their skills and the results theyproduce, and not for where, when and howthey work.

Flexible working is available to everyone.Over 16 per cent of staff have formalflexible working arrangements such asreduced hours, job-sharing and term-timeworking. Many more work flexibly on aninformal basis, for example working fromhome sometimes.

Among the partners, 11 per cent workflexibly, more than half of them women.Some members of the governance board,nearly 40 per cent of whom are women,work flexibly.

Case Study

Addleshaw Goddard

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Managers are given comprehensive supportand guidance when assessing a formalflexible working application. The firm hascreated a culture where flexible working isseen as a business tool, not a concession forthose wishing to work part-time or for thosewith caring responsibilities.

The results:

Flexible working fitted in well with thefirm’s culture: people are used to workingin teams spread across offices and toworking remotely.

Service standards have been maintainedand in some cases improved wherepeople work flexibly.

Talented individuals are choosing to jointhe firm and flexible working iscontributing to this: half of the externallyhired partners recruited in the last twoyears have been women.

Lessons:

Good communication is essential. Thefirm uses its internal website, TheSource, to educate its people aboutthe benefits of flexible working and tohighlight role models.

Measure the take-up of flexibleworking and feed this back to seniormanagement and board meetings toensure the business benefits aretracked and understood.

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Four individuals tell their stories below:

Time for the unexpected

Dharmbeer Omparkash had been workingfull-time for his Midlands-based employerfor less than a year when his brother inAustralia asked him to travel to India tohelp him organise three family weddings.

Omparkash, 50, a press operator at WestBromwich Tool and EngineeringCompany, needed three weeks off to makethe trip to help with the Hindu festivities.However, he had not accumulated enoughannual leave to take such a long break.

The company nevertheless gave him thetime off, most of it unpaid, so that hecould fulfill his family duties. When hereturned to Britain, he was ill for a week,so he was away from work for four weeksaltogether.

‘The company was very, very helpful,’ hesays, adding that it was ‘fantastic’ to beable to visit the Punjab, attend theweddings and see the Golden Temple atAmritsar. ‘I usually spend holidays visitingmy relatives around the UK. I hadn’t beenabroad since 1983.’

Fellow press operator Linda Britton has 17grandchildren and sometimes needs timeoff at short notice to provide her childrenwith emergency childcare.

Section 7The impact on employeesThe impact on individuals of being able to workflexibly cannot be underestimated. For some, itliterally means the difference between working andnot working. For most people, it transforms theirability to cope with the often-conflicting demands ofwork and home. Even relatively small changes toworking patterns that enable greater autonomy canimprove people’s health, enjoyment and sense ofbeing valued.

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Britton, 57, usually works a 2pm to 10pmshift at the press works, five days a week.‘If I need to change my hours for somereason, they’ve let me do that, and I makeup the day at another time,’ she says. ‘Acouple of weeks ago, I had to help with mygrandson. I rang them up in the morningand they let me have the day off. If theyneed me to help them out at other times, Icome in if I’m able to.’

She has been with the company for 14years. ‘I’ve worked quite a few places andthis has been the best one for flexibilityand helping you out. It’s one of thereasons why I stay. Everyone knows one

another. It’s like a big family. And thedirectors talk to you like people.’

Reduced hours revive lawyer’senergy

After 25 years as a corporate lawyer,working long hours on mergers,acquisitions and joint venturetransactions, Ian McIntosh wanted greaterwork-life balance and a change of role.

As he turned 50, he took advantage of anoption to work flexibly at AddleshawGoddard, the firm where he is an equitypartner.

Dharmbeer Omparkash, Press Operator, West BromwichTool and Engineering Company

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Linda Britton, Press Operator,West Bromwich Tool andEngineering Company

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For years he had been working 14 to 15-hour days, including a lot of travel. In May2009 he switched to a four-day week,reduced his transactions workload andtook on a new role leading thedevelopment of the firm’s offering to itsfinancial services clients.

On Thursday evenings, he switches on his‘out-of-office’ message. ‘Officially I don’twork Fridays and I make quite big effortsnot to look at my Blackberry those days.My secretary, who really helps here, looksat my emails and phones me if there’ssomething urgent.’ If McIntosh has towork on a Friday, as happens occasionally,he takes a day in lieu.

Has it made a difference? ‘Yes. I feel a bitfitter and healthier. I’ve done someswimming and cycling with my son. I’veread books, listened to music and talked(and listened!) to my family more. I’ve

found I have a greater sense of energy andpossibility, and also more urgency andachievement in the four days I work. I alsoget a bit more sleep.’

As a partner, he admits it’s hard to switchoff totally. Clients and other contactssometimes phone his mobile on Fridays.‘The things they are talking to me aboutare really urgent for them, and that’s theservice the firm has to provide, but I’msure we will evolve better how we coverthat as a business.’

His working arrangement is still anexception in commercial law. ‘There’s along hours – and strong service – cultureand a sense that this is what’s expected,’ hesays. ‘However, the people I work with inthe firm, whether it’s partners or otherstaff, see it as a really good sign that thebusiness is comfortable with me doing this.’

Ian McIntosh, Equity Partner, Addleshaw Goddard

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Flexible job helps disabled archivistkeep working

Katherine Thomas works for the WelshAssembly Government as equalopportunities adviser to the museums,archives and libraries of Wales. A qualifiedarchivist, she has an energy impairmentthat means she can no longer work full-time and finds travel very tiring.

Trying to find a manageable job ‘was anabsolute nightmare because so feworganisations offer part time or flexibleworking in my field’, she says. She foundher current job with the Welsh AssemblyGovernment because it accepts part-timeapplications for full-time jobs. It alsooffers flexibility. While she had to relocatefrom Derbyshire to West Wales to securesuitable employment, the arrangementmeans that she can now pace herself, toher own and her employer’s benefit.

‘The Welsh Assembly Government’sattitude to part time and flexible workingbasically gave me a chance, when no oneelse would, and allows me to use theabilities I have, to benefit them, instead offorcing me into a position ofunemployment or employment which isnot commensurate with my abilities.’

‘With flexible working, I can do a reallylong day with travel when needed andhave the next day off to recover. Over themonth I will work my contracted hours.This works for me, and it works for them. Ihave been in post now for over four yearsand have never taken a day off sick.

‘It really is a win-win situation and I amaware of no other employers who wouldwork with me in this way. The attitudes ofmost employers thus discriminate againstme as a disabled person and also preventthem from accessing high quality potentialstaff who don’t “fit” their mould.’

Katherine Thomas, EqualOpportunities Adviser to theMuseums, Archives and Librariesof Wales, Welsh AssemblyGovernment

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Equality and Human Rights Commission Working Better:www.equalityhumanrights.com/workingbetter

Equality and Human Rights Commission Transformation of Work interactiveguidance: www.equalityhumanrights.com/transformation-of-work

ACAS: for guidance on flexible working see www.acas.org.uk

Business Link: for a tool on what type of flexible working would suit your business, go to the section on ‘Employing people’. The tool is called: ‘Choose the right type offlexible working’. www.businesslink.gov.uk

Working Families: see ‘Lifecycles: building business success through effectiveemployment practice’ and also their interactive tool called Retune to help employeesand managers shape new working arrangements for senior roles.www.workingfamilies.org.uk

TUC ‘Changing Times’ website pages provide practical advice for employers onachieving a better work life balance in the workplace: www.tuc.org.uk/work_life

WiseWork, consultants in flexible working: www.wisework.co.uk

Workwise: a not-for-profit initiative, which aims to make the UK one of the mostprogressive economies in the world by encouraging the widespread adoption ofsmarter working practices: www.workwiseuk.org

Section 8Useful linksThere are many sources of information on how toimplement flexible working arrangements in detail.Here is a list:

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AcknowledgementsWe would like to thank the following for theirassistance:

Stuart Fell, West Bromwich Tool and Engineering

Caroline Waters and colleagues, BT

Helen Webb and Ziggie Singh, Sainsbury’s

Helen Mahy, National Grid

Syd Nadim, Clock

Alison Gregory, IBM

Katherine Hallam, Addleshaw Goddard

Colette Hill, Colette Hill Associates

Sarah Churchman, PricewaterhouseCoopers

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© Equality and Human Rights Commission October 2009ISBN 978 1 84206 216 6

Artwork by Epigramwww.epigram.co.uk

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