Examples of flexible working

[Loops81]

Hello. I'm part of a working group at my agency looking for ways to improve our processes, benefits and culture. I've been tasked with researching different approaches to flexible working to suggest to the board, and I thought this would be a good place to start. Does your workplace have a flexible working policy (or informal approach) that you would recommend? What is it? This is not intended to be specific to parents, but something to offer to all employees. No need to go into detail about who you work for or what you do, unless it's relevant.

I'm sure I have a written policy (I just can't find it) but it's fairly informal in the sense that anyone can request flexible working. The employee has to request in writing, for consideration by the line manager. We're a small company though so invariably this is often the Executive Director.

We reserve the right to trial it and withdraw if it doesn't work - but it's unheard of really. I think nearly every staff member has flexible working

My workplace has a written policy. Its pretty standard.

My team work flexibly informally. As long as the work gets done and we are there for meetings, we can come and go and we please. We also set our own core working hours. Its brilliant. Only slight drawback is when you need to talk to someone but don't know when they will be back.

For me it's being able to do school hours, term time only, working from home, flexible for appointments, carers leave ( for small children and elderly parents for example). General rule as long as the work gets done it doesn't really matter what time of the day it gets done. Some people would rather leave to collect children from school sort them out do tea then log back on when they've gone to bed to get the work done.

Your company should already be following the statutory process:

www.gov.uk/flexible-working

So that's your policy if you don't have one already. If you want to encourage flexible working, look at making flexible working applications available from day one of employment and see if it's practical to introduce flexitime with core hours.

We're in a 6 month flexible working trial at my workplace. Three key elements

1. Flexible start and end times - start any time between 8am and 10am, finish any time between 4pm and 7pm
2. Flexible daily hours to make up working week so you can work 6 hours one day and 9 hours another day, as long as core hours are met and no impact on business needs ie you don't schedule a 6 hour day working 10am to 4pm if you're required at a team meeting at 9 and have a deadline to hit
3. Can request to work from home one day a month, again subject to business requirements

2 and 3 are new, and 1 is an extension of previous flexible hours (was latest start 9:30, earliest finish 4:30)

All staff can do this, hours are tracked WFH has to be approved. Trial is due to finish soon, so we'll see if it gets made permanent.

We don't get paid much but we do have great flexible working. Options include Start late/ finish late, start early/ finish early, 9 day fortnight, flexi time so you can accrue Toil, work extra time term time to accrue holiday time Toil and ability to buy unlimited extra holiday. These have to be agreed with your line manager.
We also have an informal flexible working attitude , where you are judged on performance and outcomes rather than time spent at your desk, so nobody would question if you arrived at 1000, left at 1600 or decided you would work at home as long as you are producing good outcomes. Local Authority BTW.

My work place are bloody brilliant and it’s made me (and others) super loyal to them, so it works both ways.

Essentially, so long as your hours get covered then they are happy to let you crack on. I only do 25 hours a week, and they let me do 37 during term time and then have that time back in lieu during school holidays. I can work around school runs / assemblies / the dogs birthday if I should so desire.

The flip side is that I will work my arse off and do extra in my own time if it means we hit the deadlines we need too. I don’t piss about when I am there, and I’ve literally sat with Ds under my desk rather than take a days holiday so that I could get done what was needed too (he thinks this is BRILLIANT fun!)

I am VERY lucky!