Employees want flexible working but presenteism in the office still pervades our work culture and an old fashioned 9-5 model of work (often 8-6 in reality!) still exists that creates commuting bottle necks that could be avoided. Companies have become more open to flexible working, but because it suited them during the downturn with reduced hours to avoid redundancies.

Employee needs and wants are rarely the driver for employers embracing flexible working, when this would enhance motivation, reduce stress and enable businesses to operate more 24/7. It is hardly surprising there is a huge drain of talented women in our country as refusal to adopt flexible working often gives working mothers no other option but to exit. The younger generation's desire for flexibility, enabling technology and a growing employee voice helped by social media will be catalysts for change, as will be lost productivity with peak commuting bottlenecks.  

Flexible working has become associated with women, but men want it too and wanting a good work life balance is a universal desire.  In many professions, a request for flexible working is like career suicide. The core problem is that too many people travel to work at the same time on transport infrastructures that are feeling the strain.

The law has changed recently and eligible employees can make one request to work more flexibly every 12 months, changing the hours, times or location from which they work. 

Common types of flexible working:

Self employment - the ultimate in flexibility - choose your own hours

Part time working - less than full time hours

Flexi time - freedom to choose to work within agreed set hours

Staggered hours - employees have different start and end times enabling employees to avoid commuting and businesses to open longer

Compressed working hours - cover standard hours in fewer days

Job sharing - two workers agree hours and split a full time job between them

Term time working - take paid or unpaid leave during the holidays

Home working/teleworking - spend some/all hours working away from the office

V time working - reduce hours for an agreed period with guarantee of full time work when this period ends    

Zero hour contracts - work only hours the employer needs

Sabbatical/career break - employees are allowed to take time off for an agreed time, either paid or unpaid.

For Energise coaching special offers, click here:   Special Offers