Culture toolkit — line management — flexible working
Flexible working is the number one workplace practice that would support the retention of 50+ workers. So how do you talk about it?
Why it’s important to talk about flexible working
Flexible working is an essential part of being an age-friendly employer. According to people over the age of 50, flexible working is the number one workplace practice that would both encourage them back into the workplace and support their retention, allowing them to work for longer: 72% want to work flexibly.
Research by Timewise and The Centre for Ageing Better showed that older workers can be more reluctant to ask for flexible working — despite the fact that it would make it easier for them to juggle caring commitments, manage health conditions or simply achieve a better work-life balance.
As a manager, then, it is important that you normalise the conversation about flexible working options, are clear about what flexibility is available in your team and that this is available to everyone. Reinforce that all reasons for wanting to work flexibly are valid, and this is not just aimed at parents. Those with caring responsibilities will equally benefit. In some working environments, it will be easier to offer flexibility than in others. The key thing is that guidance is applied fairly and equitably.
If you are putting flexible working arrangements in place, then you will need to have a full and open conversation with the individual about how it will work and the potential impacts. The arrangement should be clearly defined from the start, with regular reviews of how it is working as part of your ongoing supervision of their role.
Any discussions about flexible working should cover the following:
Business aims
What does this role need to deliver? What does the business need this employee to contribute? Can this be delivered flexibly?
Can the work be delivered at different times? Is the role customer- or client-facing and if so, how will this impact? What options are available?
Workload
What would the impact of flexible working be on the employee’s workload? If they are working fewer hours, their workload will also need to decrease. What impact would this have on other members of the team? How can this be managed?
Communication with other team members
How will the employee make it clear to others when they are and aren’t available? How will they manage asynchronous communication? Can they be reached in an emergency?
Financial implications
If the arrangement means working fewer hours overall, what will this mean financially? Is the employee clear about any impact on their pay and benefits?
Managing performance
How will you and the employee work together to monitor performance and address any issues in a timely manner?