EMPLOYERS: NEGOTIATING PART-TIME WORKING STAFF
- Improving business performance needs to be at the heart of transforming work organisation. Changing how you work will only succeed if it presents a solution to a business challenge whether it’s about increasing productivity, saving on costs or employee retention.
- Opportunities to work flexibly should be offered to all if it makes business sense to you and helps them achieve a better work-life balance.
Case Study - ASDA
ASDA identified problems with absence and labour turnover so decided to consult with employees to find out the reasons why. This resulted in a number of flexible working initiatives being introduced.
- Shift-swapping schemes – notice boards and shift-swap cards used in each store to arrange changes of shift with colleagues
- Benidorm leave – up to three months unpaid leave available in winter
- Big break – up to two weeks unpaid leave to add to paid holiday entitlement for a special occasion or a travel opportunity
- Childcare leave – reduction, change in hours or unpaid leave
- There to care – to care for elderly or dependant relatives
- Grandparent leave – up to one week unpaid to support new grandchild
- Study leave – changes to working pattern to fit study
- Store-swapping – for those moving areas
- Fertility leave – paid leave to support treatment .
By doing this, Asda saw a significant decrease in absence and turnover rates including absences and turnover rates including absences and halved from 7% of working time to 3.5%. And as well as allowing for a greater work-life balance for its staff, employees were also up-skilled to shift swap across more roles.
- Your organisation’s management style and practice should focus on how people achieve objectives and outputs not on time spent physically in the workplace.
- When your people have more choice over when and where they work they should be trusted to produce results.
- Managers need the confidence and skills to manage changes in work organisation – train and guide them, as they are vital to its success.
Case Study - KPMG
KPMG offer a wide range of flexible working options designed to cater for people’s different needs. These include ‘glide time’ - the option of shifting working hours to earlier or later in a day, flexible holidays and career breaks.
KPMG have created the role of a flexible working champion whose role it is to constantly challenge the organisation’s policies and approaches to working patterns. They also offer independent advice to staff exploring a flexible working option.
There are many flexible working champions across the business. People working flexibly have been promoted to the most senior levels of its business and one of its executive Board Members acts as a role model for flexible working.
- Senior managers have to provide leadership and resources - they need to explain the vision to staff and make sure it is followed.
- Be innovative but be prepared to learn from others and build on what works. Don’t be afraid to take one small step at a time.
- Effective transformation needs to work for your organisation, your customers and your people. Consult and involve all parties before taking action.
Case Study - Centrica
Centrica’s flexible working ‘work wise’ programme originated in 2004 in response to pressure from employees for better work life balance and the practical difficulties with existing office space requiring refurbishment.
98% of those who have been through the programme say they would recommend it to a colleague and during the pilot phase, a ‘before and after’ survey of the marketing teams showed an improvement in work/life balance of 38.
Many teams have chosen mobile working, which has meant a reduction of 25% in office space and eliminating the need to move to a new site has meant an annual saving of £8m.
- Your staff will often know what works best and must own the solution for it to be successful. Encourage teams to work through problems together and take responsibility for its success.
- Don’t forget to measure your success – how has it impacted on productivity, customer relations, turnover, absenteeism and recruitment and retention?
Source : The Equal Opportunities Commission