JOBS & CAREERS SPRING 2018 - 47

J+C PROMOTION
SPRING 2018

Flexible
innovation
Flexible working has been
getting a bad name of late with
reports of zero hours and gig
contracts. Who is the flexibility
actually for, many are asking

F

or years, Workingmums.co.uk
has highlighted examples
of good practice in flexible
working. What's clear is
that too much flexibility on the part of
employees can result in exploitation,
while too much on the part of employers
runs the risk of gaps in service. There has
to be some give and take on both sides.
Our recent Top Employer Awards
(workingmums.co.uk/topemployerawards)
show how a flexible culture can benefit
businesses and workers. At healthcare
communications company Cuttsy+Cuttsy,
people work in many different ways.
Some work reduced hours at certain
times of the year, such as during school
holidays, and full-time when there's
peak demand. This flexibility helps the
company get the best talent and adapt to
fast-changing business circumstances.
That desire to be agile means flexibility
and adaptability are vital for success

and need to be part of the overall
culture, encompassing everything from
recruitment to training to posts in all
levels of the business. Lloyds Bank
recently introduced an agile hiring
programme, under which every vacancy
is classified according to whether it is
full-time, reduced hours and/or agile
or flexible. If the person recruiting says
they cannot offer agile working, they
have to give a good business rationale
why not and could be challenged.

Zero choices

Even in zero-hours jobs there's a growing
recognition of the importance of good
practice. McDonald's now offers its hourly
paid employees a choice of whether they
want to stay on a flexible contract or swap
to a guaranteed minimum-hours contract,
retaining all the terms and conditions
they had before. McDonald's says many
employees value the flexibility offered by

zero hours - and the fact that only around
10% opt for fixed hours suggests this is
the case - but giving them the choice has
resulted in greater employee satisfaction.
As Mathew Cutts, director of
Cuttsy+Cuttsy, says: "Flexible working
is about building a culture of trust and
give and take. Everyone has different
needs at different times. By treating
every person as an individual, it works."

Mandy Garner is editor of
Workingmums.co.uk

Find out more

Visit workingmums.co.uk


https://www.workingmums.co.uk/ http://Workingmums.co.uk http://workingmums.co.uk/topemployerawards http://Workingmums.co.uk http://workingmums.co.uk

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JOBS & CAREERS SPRING 2018

http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Careers/jcspring2018
https://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Careers/JobsandCareersAutumn2017
https://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Careers/YourBusinessWithJamesCaan2017
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Careers/Careers/Careers_with_Hayley_Taylor_2011
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