Flexible working: Convincing employers

• Selling the benefits of flexible working
• Types of flexible employer
• How to apply for flexible working

Selling the benefits of flexible working

Depending on your circumstances, here are some of the arguments you can use to persuade your employer of the advantages they may derive from agreeing to flexible working.

• Reduced commuting time and lower levels of stress, resulting in higher productivity
• Improved staff recruitment and retention
• Less stress-related absenteeism
• Possible reduced overheads
• A more loyal, motivated workforce
• A workforce that feels valued

KPMG believes that ‘flexible working options make us more attractive to the best and brightest new graduates’.

BT has over 9,000 home workers using new technology to deal with client queries, thus reducing overheads and improving customer service.

Unilever believes ‘there is a direct link between employee satisfaction, customer satisfaction and business results’.

Go to Employers and Work-Life Balance for more about promoting the benefits to those yet to be convinced.

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Types of flexible employer

The public sector has traditionally been the champion of flexible working in teaching, the National Health Service and social services, to name but a few. This is largely because of the high proportion of women in their workforce, and the acknowledgement that women need flexible working practices because of their traditional responsibility for childcare.

As flexible working gains a higher profile and graduates examine lifestyle choices as part of choosing a career, the larger, more traditional recruiters are starting to take notice, and to embrace new policies.

Employers looking at retention figures are realising the benefits of incorporating flexible working patterns into long-term career planning for graduate trainees. One of the biggest stumbling blocks is the prevailing work-based culture which assumes you are not a dedicated employee if you wish to work flexibly. Be careful to check that employers are entering into the spirit of flexible working, not just paying lip service to it, as has been the case with some City firms.

Go to The Work Foundation for case studies featuring many large graduate employers, which consider in detail the range of flexible working patterns they offer and the reasoning behind their policies. These firms cover all sectors. One of the main reasons cited for offering flexible working is the retention of high-quality staff. It is also increasingly appreciated that, with an aging population, a far greater range of staff are likely to be finding themselves in the role of carers, with the consequent need for flexible employment.

Firms promoting flexible working policies include BT, Elli Lilly, Marks and Spencer, KPMG (UK), LloydsTSB, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Royal Bank of Scotland and Unilever.

Check the websites of employers you are interested in for their policy on work-life balance. This may be in a different section from their careers and jobs pages.

A survey by the Work Foundation entitled Workplace Trends 2003 to 2006, found that large companies were more likely to offer flexible working than small or medium-sized employers. This survey has not been updated but anecdotal evidence suggests that this divide is no longer as obvious. Opportunities for flexible working in small and medium sized enterprises may be limited because they often lack a human resources department that can formally implement such practices, and the necessary cover and/or technology to make them practicable. With these firms, individual negotiation will be paramount if you do not have a statutory entitlement.

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How to apply for flexible working

The keyword is preparation.

• Check whether your employer has a flexible working policy in place and whether it applies to all staff. You may prefer to use the staff handbook or website initially rather than speaking to HR at this stage.
• If applying under statutory entitlement, use the help at Directgov - Flexible Working to put a case together. Read the Directgov instructions on how to apply. Find out which member of your employer’s HR team deals with such applications and decide when to put in your request.
• Depending on the policies of your employer, they may need more convincing if you are not applying under a statutory entitlement.
• Some large employers have an informal careers network that will offer support and may have members who have already gone through the process.
• Check for other employers of a similar size and with similar business interests to see how they deal with the issue.
• Check contacts and resources for sources to help you research the subject.
• Look at your request from your employer’s viewpoint, so you can address their concerns.
• Realistically consider any problems that may arise and think through some possible solutions.
• Canvas colleagues, consider any reservations or problems they bring up and reassure them.
• Perhaps get a trusted colleague to read your form.
• Submit a written application stating the reasons for the request, and the impact of the proposed working pattern on your work, colleagues, etc.
• If you are applying under statutory entitlement, there is a fixed timescale for meetings and decisions.
• Be prepared to negotiate and compromise.
• If turned down, appeal.
• Allow a timescale of at least three months.

	Written by higher education careers professionals	Date:  Spring 2009
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