Working flexibly September 2013

Working flexibly

by Toronto Training and HR

September 2013

CONTENTS5-6 Definitions7-8 Typical challenges 9-10 Costs and time 11-12 Pluses and minuses13-14 Drill A15-18 Implementing flexible working19-23 Adopting a flexible working strategy24-26 Tips for teleworking27-28 Drill B29-30 Why is flexible working a business imperative?31-33 How can HR get involved?34-35 Contractual considerations36-37 Things to consider38-39 What do employees want?40-41 Impact of flexible working42-43 Total factor productivity44-45 Considerations in 201346-47 How does Canada compare?48-49 Case studies50-51 Conclusion and questions

Introduction

Introduction to Toronto Training and HR

Toronto Training and HR is a specialist training and human resources consultancy headed by Timothy Holden 10 years in banking10 years in training and human resourcesFreelance practitioner since 2006The core services provided by Toronto Training and HR are:

Training event designTraining event deliveryReducing costs, saving time plus improving employee engagement and moraleServices for job seekers

Definitions

Definitions• What is flexible working?• Workplace flexibility• Types of flexible working• Factors that contribute to

an interest in flexible working

Typical challenges

Typical challenges• Overcoming concerns about

operational pressures and meeting customer requirements

• Line managers’ current ability to manage flexible working effectively

• Line managers’ current attitudes toward flexible working

• The existing organizational culture

• A lack of support at senior levels

Costs and time

Costs and time• Average time of daily

commute?• Annual total mileage of all

car commutes?• Employees occupy how

much space (m²)?• Average office occupancy?• Average annual office costs

per head?

Pluses and minuses

Pluses and minuses• Benefits• Drawbacks

Drill A

Implementing flexible working

Implementing flexible working 1 of 3• Establish a clear process for

how flexible working works in the organization

• Ensure that there are clear roles and responsibilities for employees, line managers and HR

• Assess the current levels of support offered to line managers and ensure it is sufficient

Implementing flexible working 2 of 3• Invest in ongoing

communication and awareness raising

• Assess how conducive the organization culture is to flexible working – and take action accordingly

Implementing flexible working 3 of 3• Make use of pilots (when

introducing new initiatives) and trial periods (for individual flexible working arrangements) in order to highlight potential problems with flexible working arrangements

• Build in opportunities and mechanisms to monitor and evaluate progress with flexible working

Adopting a flexible working strategy

Adopting a flexible working strategy 1 of 4

• Understand who would benefit from flexible working and which practices would be most relevant to the organization

• Consider training to help employees understand the uses and benefits of flexible working


• Make sure that you choose a single, robust platform that can be employed across the whole organization-ideally ones that can even be accessed by third parties should the need arise

• Ensure that flexible workers are contactable through a range of methods


• Assess the needs of your employees to understand which devices they require

• It is crucial to feel you can trust employees to be efficient when you are freeing them up to work in a more independent way

• Understand the importance of choosing a scalable solution


• Put systems in place to make it quick and simple for an employee to request flexible working

• Monitor the effectiveness of your flexible working strategy

• Once you have the flexible working strategy in place, shout about it!

Tips for teleworking

Tips for teleworking 1 of 2

• Start small with a pilot to test fears around teleworking

• Seek feedback at the beginning and end of the pilot to measure the results

• Build in time for spontaneous interaction with team meeting days and social events for remote workers

• Involve the whole team in establishing a program, not just the teleworking employee

Tips for teleworking 2 of 2

• Get in the habit of using technology to loop in remote employees for impromptu meetings

• Decide on work objectives for teleworkers and use those to measure performance

• Establish a “telework charter” that spells out the ground rules

Drill B

Why is flexible working a business imperative?

Why is flexible working a business imperative?

• Employees are happier and healthier

• Employees are more productive and engaged

• Flexible working is a key recruitment and retention tool

• It helps the bottom line

How can HR get involved?

How can HR get involved? 1 of 2

• Bring top management onboard as flex champions

• Position flexible working as a business strategy, not a perk

• Make the business case, focusing on bottom line ROI

• Also get middle management onboard

• Listen to what your employees say works best for them

How can HR get involved? 2 of 2

• Design solutions that work for both the organization and the employees

• Develop written policies that are clear to all

• Devise measurements to show progress

• Provide flexible working training for managers and employees

• Build flexible working into your corporate culture via CEO messages

Contractual considerations

Contractual considerations• Hours of work• Absence• Place of work• Salary and benefits• Expenses• Right to enter• Discipline and grievance

Things to consider

Things to consider• Data Protection• Termination and

confidentiality• Health & Safety

considerations• Use of equipment• Discrimination

What do employees want?

What do employees want?• Variation in hours of the

working day• To be able to work from

home one or two days a week

• Work a compressed working week

Impact of flexible working

Impact of flexible working• Connected employees• Telecommuting

• Productivity• Work-life balance• Job security• Burnout

Total factor productivity

Total factor productivity• Output• Reduction in attrition• Fall in capital needed per

employee

Considerations in 2013

Considerations in 2013• Time famine• Increase in eldercare

responsibilities• Dual-earner issues• More male work-life conflict• Rising stress levels• Diverse and multi-

generational workforce

How does Canada compare?

How does Canada compare?• US• Mexico• Puerto Rico

• APAC• EMEA

Case studies

Conclusion and questions

Conclusion and questions

SummaryVideosQuestions

Working flexibly September 2013

Business

Transcript of Working flexibly September 2013