Flexible working allows employees to set alternative working hours, change hours with notice to fit other parts of their lives, or work remotely from home or elsewhere. It can increase productivity and lower overheads for employers. Flexible working is in demand, with 14 million Britons and 42% of the working population wanting it, yet only 6.2% of vacancies mention it. While flexible working provides benefits, employers must maintain effective communication, accountability, and find the right balance with structure to avoid dissatisfaction. Flexible working differs from gig work in providing stability, loyalty, and feeling valued to employees. Implementing flexible work requires securing management commitment, consulting employees, and clearly communicating policies.

1. Flexible working
As future proofing
Lee Allen
Sales Director

2. Identifying trends to future-proof against
What is future proofing?
• Being prepared for challenges.
• Happy people = Better results

3. Flexible working as future proofing
14 million Britons want flexible working
• That’s 42% of the working population…
Jobsite research finds that HR decision makers rate flexible
working as the most important benefit they offer, with 45%
of staff wanting flexibility
• Yet only 6.2% of vacancies mention flexible working.

4. But what is flexible working?
Flexible
• Allows an employee to set alternative working hours.
• Able to change hours with notice to fit other parts of their lives.
• Employees work the same amount of hours as usual, just at different times.
Remote
• An employee not based in an office.
• Works the same hours as their colleagues.
• Can be based nearby for office visits, can be based anywhere in the world.
Part-time
• Others include: Staggered hours, compressed hours, shift swapping, self rostering, term-time working,
annual hours and V-time working.
• Any combination of these can be used to make the ideal working pattern for an employee.

5. Flexible working as future proofing
1. Increased productivity
Telecommuters twice as likely to work over 40hrs a week.
2. Lower overheads
Working from home half of the time could save an average of £11,000 a year.
3. Higher retention rates
• 76% loyalty increase in employees who work from home.
• 25% reporting lower stress levels.
• 73% saying they eat healthier while at home.
• 80% indicating they had a better work-life balance.
4. Fewer sick days
• 78% of sick day takers aren’t really ill – they are stressed or have family issues.
• Telecommuters typically work when they are ill.

6. The challenges of flexible working
1. Communication
With employees empowered to work at different times and in different places, you need
to make sure effective communication is maintained.
2. Accountability
Out of sight and out of mind is an attitude that can easily slip in if a remote workforce is
not well managed.
3. Finding the line
The definition of flexibility can vary from employer to employee. Make sure that all parties
are on the same page to minimise dissatisfaction.

7. Flexible vs the gig economy

8. Flexible vs the gig economy
Gig workers in the UK currently account for:
• That’s Over 1 million workers.
• A disproportionate amount of young,
creative professionals.
• A growth in self-employment at
odds with the rest of the world.

9. Flexible vs the gig economy
Flexible:
• Engaged, loyal employees
• Lower stress levels than avg
• Help lower overheads
• Feel valued by a company
• Good PR
“The justification from employers when called out on their failure to provide employment rights always comes down
to the same thing: these workers want flexibility and their model provides this.”
- Jason Moyer-Lee, general secretary of the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain (IWGB)
Gig economy:
• Freelancers looking for next gig
• Constantly under pressure
• High churn
• No job security
• Bad PR

10. Implementing flexi in to your HR strategy
“An important part of adding flexible working to your HR strategy is remembering to set
goals for your employees. Help them challenge themselves to get the best out of this
arrangement.
There’s a balance to find between flexibility and structure. Once you’ve found the right
combination there will be benefits to your staff retention, engagement and happiness.
The potential for saving cash while improving key HR metrics makes flexible working an
unmissable opportunity.” - David Clift, HR Director StepStone UK

11. Implementing flexi in to your HR strategy
Implementation checklist:
1. Secure the commitment of top management
2. Draw up a profile of the existing workforce and their current hours
3. Take cultural issues into account
4. Decide the extent of flexibility to be introduced
5. Consult with employees
6. Consider appointing a working group to manage implementation
7. Work out the details
8. Communicate the policies to all staff
9. Identify a co-ordinator
10. Provide training in implementing flexible working arrangements
11. Evaluate the scheme

12. Flexible working and the law
• Who has the right to request flexible working?
• What do you have to do about it?
• Regulations around hours, rest break and working week rules are the same for a remote worker,
so recap these when building a flexible strategy.

13. What kind of talent does flexi help access?
• Over 1 million gig economy workers in all kinds of disciplines
• 14 million Britons who desire flexible working
• 18.9 million families with childcare commitments
• 6.9 million disabled people of working age
• 700,000 people with autism who may benefit from increased control over their working environment

14. Using Flexibility to capture engaged talent
Will Hawes – was able to continue working while his wife was seriously ill, as well as taking on
childcare responsibilities and looking after her.

15. We can do better!