To think Companies/employers should offered more flexible work, less hours, more annual leave

[Luna9]

Just reading another thread about how unhappy many people is to be working/commuting 5 days per week and I am thinking people will be happier if they could have a bit more flexibility like doing some days/hours from home. Also 35 hours per week instead of 37.5 or 40 and 30 days annual leave.

I understand flexible working doesn’t work for some jobs but it does for many others.

I think people will be more productive and happier.

Just dreaming

So set up your own businesses and run it like that.

By your logic all staff will be super motivated and efficient and so you will soon be minted.

Obviously you will never have issues covering Rita’s or anything

Ah yes, great idea is the employer supposed to pay for the extra holiday and 37.5 hours while staff work 35? All these employers with money to burn.

Apparently Labour are bringing in a 4 day week. I don't understand how it will work. Will kids be at school for 4 days or will schools have to take on an extra 20% of staff. For some jobs presenteeism makes sense. My corner shop often only has one member of staff, but if they reduce her hours and don't increase someone else's, the shop will have to shut. It doesn't matter if she works twice as hard when its open, I can't get my milk and bread when it is shut.
Having said that, I work for a local authority and have fixed hours that suit me (and the service) immensely. And I can buy back leave which is great. But that's only allowed to cut the staffing bill without making redundancies.

You may be shocked to learn that a business is not created for the benefit of the employees.

I suggest you start your own business and offer this to your staff, see how long you last.

My company is super flexible. Flexi-time, work from home, term-time, compressed week- the whole lot.

People still complain and take the piss.

Vote Labour!
People love putting obstacles in he path of good ideas!!
Who said 40 hours is 'fulltime' ?
Prior to that people were probably up in arms about having weekends off or holidays!!
How on Earth will we cope!!
Well in the NHS people already work 3 days a lot of the time. Other people work the other days!! Not rocket science.
Both parents doing 4 days would be much easier for childcare for many!

I am lucky enough to do 3 days and it makes life so much easier/nicer. 5 days leaves such little time especially if also have older parents to look after and children!

Lots of companies allow flexible working now and remote working seems to be very common. WFH and hot desking can actually save money as employers can use smaller premises if they don't need all staff in every day.
Obviously it depends on the job.

Yeah, vote Labour and there won't be any companies left to employ you so you can stay at home all day.

My company encourages flexible working. Our model fits nicely because we have a project based internal labor market. It’s very common for a full time employee to split their time between two or three projects. A part time employee just takes on one or two at a time.

And the Tories have been so successful over the past years? Surely Labour can't be worse than this shower!

In the real world, employers are too busy trying to stay afloat to adapt to these needs....
Some are excellent at flexibility though, within reason, which in my own personal situation I appreciate hugely!

I can't see why not, OP. You'll get the naysayers who can't imagine a reality different from the one they are currently in or who think the only way people can be productive is to work long hours with little leave, but of course it's doable. My employer already manages to do this by and large. 35 hour week (with compressed hours in my case, so only 4 days at work), 45 days of annual leave (although that does include bank holidays), and a host of other benefits (free meals, 6 months mat leave on full pay, etc.).

Must be great...but my employer could not survive giving that many plus's

Yes hang on I’ll just pay my employees more holiday pay and let them cut their hours and of course work whenever they want because of flexitime. I’m sorry but that’s not how a successful business works. If I ran my business the way you describe I wouldn’t have a business and those who work for me would be out of a job. I see myself as a fairly decent employer and I do try and help my employees as I can with regards to working hours but at the end of the day I need them to do what they where hired to do and with the hours they where hired to work in order for the business to continue running so I can’t just hand out flexti time to everyone that wants it, I always advertise the hours that are needed for roles when I advertise a job so if you want different hours to what I’m offering don’t apply for the job. I can’t just offer more paid leave as that would cost the money more money. Working from home isn’t an option in my business either so some may see it as I’m not being fair but that’s not the case.

And would employees be willing to take paycuts to accommodate this flexibility? Because many employers couldn't afford to run like this

Also, do you really think it would stop people complaining? I can guarantee it won't ! People will always find something to complain about

The company more money

This would absolutely finish my business (construction).
We would simply not be able to work with that model.
I’m already pissed off with the workplace pensions! -The idea is marvellous in idea only! Not only do we have to pay over the odds for pension plans, but we now have to do all the admin included.

Honestly, try employing people.
It is no walk in the park!

I work for a big company who offer lots of options. We hot desk and work from home and we have the option to use hubs not in the middle of the city where we are based. Some people take the piss but overall it works well. We do 37 hours, have 29 days hols and there are 10 bank/public holidays. We can easily avail of our 28 weeks parental leave and we get paid maternity leave and paternity leave.

I do think more companies can.

I have moved to what was a small company run by 2 men who used the manual workm its grown beyond their business running capabilities. They were very against working from home for employees that could. They were sure flexi would work as some roles had to be in the office.

I pointed out that if people working from home were taking the piss. Chances are they were taking the piss in the office. That if peoples performance got worse due to working from home we tackle that individually. Dont not do it because of a few piss takers. It's going well and now you can get parked outside the office.

More holidays? Less hours for same pay? No. I dont agree. It will put many businesses under. Businesses built on the current model. They will need to employ more people. It's a difficult time for business as it is, especially with the fuck up of Brexit.

Running a business is done for the employers needs, not the employees. Fourth hours a week is hardly too much and annual leave already has a minimum set by law.

Lots of people are moaning that life is expensive so wanting less hours etc isn’t going to help with that.

Studies have consistently shown that people are more productive working 4 day weeks or 9 day fortnights so YANBU

I do wish there was more possibility to find a healthy medium. Working can be a real exhausting slog

I am absoloutley convinced that our office could close on a Friday with no repercussions. It's the day most take off, so the place is only half full. The customer entrance part (a tiny element) is always empty. It's the day most people just get sorted for the next week. No new projects begin. No meetings get scheduled.

And yet we still open.

Like the idea but not sure how it works? I have a 35 hour week in practice but always work 50+ so can’t see less hours helping as I’ll probably get a pay cut in return for the same hours. I can see your point though, 4 day weeks are bliss. I WFH 1 day a week and makes an immense difference to my overall week.

You will always get jobs worth type people whatever hours/days they work.

I work from home and my employer trusts me to get the job done using the hours I need. Some weeks are hectic and I can be in conf calls at 10pm, or weekends, other weeks I can be putting my feet up at 2pm. It's all about trust, but I feel I've earnt that. I've managed people before and there are some I'd be happy doing that with, knowing they'd not take the piss, there are other employees who is never do it with as I know they'd take the piss. But you have to treat people the same and you don't always know personalities etc when hiring.

My ideal is work 3, have 4 off