The Flexible-Working Revolution
On a personal level we only get one life to live, and whilst working plays an important part of our lives, in the end, it won’t be the hours we spent office-bound that we remember fondly. Instead what is important is being able to live happy and fulfilled lives and increasingly this means being able to integrate work into our lives
For employers, our society and our economy are demanding that we create working environments that are a true representation of our society, and show genuine compassionate leadership, treating their employees as human beings, rather than just economic units.
The drivers of flexible working
The demand for flexible working is being fuelled by a number of social and economic drivers which, combined, are accelerating the pace of change for the good of everyone:
Societal
- More female graduates entering the workforce than male
- New generation expects greater job mobility, satisfaction and purpose-driven employment
- Women want to be more than 1950’s housewives
Economic
- £23bn bottom line impact on productivity/profitability
- Paradigm shift – the D&I tick box is dead – companies have to walk their talk
- Having a genuine and robust ESG agenda is critical to the future success of companies
Political
- UN SDG No5: “Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls” by 2030
- UK Equality Act 2010; Shared Parental Leave 2014; Gender Pay Gap 2017
- 2021 UK Government introduced Flexible Working Task Force
Covid-19
- The pandemic was brutal for women – companies now need to get them back
- Companies have started their tech investment in managing remote, agile and flexible teams
- The pandemic has accelerated adoption of flexible working. Hybrid working is here to stay
How do you define flexible working?
Flexible working is a combination of where, how and when you work, together with the contract and employment type that you have. The key to success lies in how these 3 elements are weaved together to reflect the needs of both the employer and employee. We also encourage employers to detail flexible work-friendly benefits in job descriptions such as extended maternity cover, career sabattical allowed or private health benefits for employees immediate family
Where?
- Office based
- 100% remote working (telecommute)
- Some work from home allowed
- Some remote working allowed
Contract type
- Freelance
- Full time
- Part time
- Fixed term
Flexible work arrangements
- Flexible hours
- Returnship
- Compressed hours
- Job-Share
- Maternity Cover
- Internship
******** Alternate presentation - The drivers of flexible working
The demand for flexible working is being fueled by a number of social and economic drivers which, combined, are accelerating the pace of change, for the good of everyone:
Societal
More female graduates entering the workforce than male
New generation expects greater job mobility, satisfaction and purpose-driven employment
Women want to be more than 1950’s housewives
Economic
£23bn bottom line impact on productivity/profitability
Paradigm shift – the D&I tick box is dead – companies have to walk their talk
Having a genuine and robust ESG agenda is critical to the future success of companies
Political
UN SDG No5: “Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls” by 2030
UK Equality Act 2010; Shared Parental Leave 2014; Gender Pay Gap 2017
2021 UK Government introduced Flexible Working Task Force
Covid-19
The pandemic was brutal for women – companies now need to get them back
Companies have started their tech investment in managing remote, agile and flexible teams
The pandemic has accelerated adoption of flexible working. Hybrid working is here to stay