Since the pandemic and the raft of virtual working that followed, employees no longer want to follow the traditional ‘9am to 5.30pm in the office’ model, choosing to work in different ways. We hear time and again how professionals seek flexibility in a role, and if employers aren’t up to speed on this, or unwilling to meet their people in the middle, they are highly unlikely to retain their staff or attract the high performers.
We meet people who consider themselves forward-thinking leaders offering hybrid working but when they reveal the fine print that comes with this working model, we can only conclude that they are still stuck in the past. We hear about ‘old school’ rules such as a 9am start meaning just that, and, if you’re not at your desk at that time, an email is required to explain exactly why not. Yes, this is genuine present-day referencing, not something from a bygone era.
Since the recent introduction of new legislation around flexible working policies, we can think of no better time than now to rethink antiquated attitudes.
“Flexible working” is a broad term used to describe an arrangement that meets the needs of both the employee and the employer as to when, where and how someone works. Flexible working covers numerous arrangements that deviate from ‘standard’ employment practices – this could include part-time working, home working, hybrid working, flexitime, job sharing, compressed hours, annualised hours, term-time working and team-based rostering. British employees all received a right to ask for such arrangements when the Flexible Working Regulations were extended in 2014. However, this came with substantial restrictions, such as applicants needing to have been in post for 26 weeks, so in practice most workplaces arranged flexible working either informally or outside of the statutory request process.
Changes to employees’ rights to ask for flexible working came into force on 6 April 2024 when the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023
became law. The new flexible working act is designed to open up better access to flexible working, including making it a right from day one.
The new flexible working legislation removes the requirement for an employee to have 26 weeks’ continuous service before they can make a formal flexible working request.
Employees will also be able to make two flexible working requests every 12 months, a change from the current single request. The Act will reduce the time limit for employers to deal with flexible working requests from three to two months, although this can be extended if the employee agrees.
Employers must consult with an employee before refusing a request, and the new legislation will remove the need for employees to explain or justify the impact of the proposed change to their working arrangements.
For many organisations who already offer above and beyond the legal minimum around flexible working, not a lot will change. Indeed, there are arguments that the government has merely been led by what the industry was already doing. Nevertheless, there is reason to be optimistic that the changes can facilitate a drive for more conscious job evaluation for the next 5-10 years, and is at the very least, a benchmark for organisations in supporting the retention and morale of employees.
Findings from our recent annual Salary Guide 2024 show that there is a strong desire among comms professionals for flexible working; it’s not just the working parents juggling work with childcare responsibilities either; Gen Z want flexible working options. We often hear how younger professionals want to work for an employer who treats them like ‘an adult’ so the strict 9am-5.30pm pattern, under a clock-watching boss, will not cut it. Being able to do the school run, taking a couple of hours out of the working day to attend appointments or doing a lunchtime workout have become non-negotiables for many professionals. There will be days when they get stuck on the tube trying to get to the office or they might have to re-route due to a protest, but these are simply aspects of working in the city; it won’t impact the quality of the work they deliver when they arrive at the office.
Employers, your attitude to the hours and working patterns that your people choose is a game-changer in today’s working world. You can have certain policies in place, but how you present these policies can come across as ‘restrictive’, ‘outdated’ or ‘old school’. It’s challenging working in London and if employees have chosen to live outside of London and commute in, as many do, that’s at least an hour of travel each way to factor in, and anything can happen. Just because you offer hybrid working, the days that your people come into the office should not be rigidly timetabled; they need to be as flexible as the ones that they spend at home working.
We find that senior comms professionals often ‘do their own thing’ as they have made it to the top and no one questions their whereabouts, but for professionals who are still working their way up, there may not be as much flexibility on offer – and be warned – if they feel restricted by this, they will move elsewhere.
Whether it’s a formal or informal policy, once it’s established, flexible working can get overlooked. Now that we have settled back into a ‘new normal’, we hear of more companies, mostly the independent, owner-managed comms agencies, who simply aren’t addressing the flexible working options they offer, or getting up to speed with what their employees want.
The way we work has changed drastically over the past few years; our Salary Guide findings highlight the elements of a job that professionals value in the present day. Benefits that focus on health and wellbeing dominated their ‘top 5’ lists and having flexible working options feeds into this – lowering stress levels around long commutes and long hours out of the house, reducing large childcare bills, having time to go to the gym, or attend appointments that address mental and overall wellbeing – healthier bodies and minds and happier, more productive employees are rooted in flexible working practices. Not something to put off reviewing for another day.
Keeping up with what’s appropriate, what’s desired, and understanding the value of updating not just the flexible working policies but attitudes towards them, cannot be understated. Wellbeing and balance are key to happy employees and tiny tweaks to your flexible working policy can go a long way. Our survey found that only 15% of corporate comms professionals want to move to an agency role next, and in an industry that is losing talent to in-house, perhaps it’s time to for agencies to introduce more flex?
Having more control of their own diary is very appealing to professionals. In a fast-paced world where life can feel more like a balancing act, flexible working is just one way that we can balance things with a little more ease. We often hear from corporate and financial or crisis comms agency owners who say that they can’t offer too much flexibility because of the type of work they do. While the early starts and the weekend work may not change, does it really matter if everyone is at their desk at 8.30am or 9am? On the days when there isn’t a financial announcement, or you’re in the middle of a client crisis, will a later start make any difference? When employees aren’t rushing to get to work, when they are working the hours that fit their lifestyles, they are instantly happier, and happier employees are more productive, work harder and stay for longer.
It doesn’t have to be a drastic change – take baby steps and perhaps trial it for a month to see if it works – you never know, you may like it and we are pretty certain your employees will. A hybrid working model is the norm, no one will think you are forward-thinking and reasonable based on this alone; you need a strong flexible working policy too. It's what the professionals polled in our survey told us, it’s what the people we speak to every week tell us.
We think that the new legislation offers a unique opportunity to take stock of how your employees’ needs for flexible working may have changed, while enabling you to gain a deeper understanding of their circumstances, take a more inclusive and fair approach to supporting requests – and when you are seen as an employer who goes above and beyond the need for legal compliance, you help boost your employer brand in a tight recruitment market.
For a free download of our full Annual Salary Guide 2024, click here.
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The Works Search: a search consultancy specialising in PR and corporate communications. We have unrivalled matching abilities and are known for finding the top 5% performers in the industry - the ones who deliver and make your reputation great. For more advice or market insights, do get in touch with us on 0207 903 9291 or email: sarah@the-works.co.uk.
