Encouraging flexible and remote working can enable organisations to become more agile and better respond to the needs of their people. But how do we introduce flexibility and manage our culture effectively to avoid the ‘always switched on’ syndrome, while increasing outcomes? Speaking at the CIPD annual conference this month we discussed you how you can assess your organisational and people needs to find the right approach for your business and create the right culture to make flexible working a success.

1. Making flexible working
work for you
Gillian Daines
gillian@forster.co.uk

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Why is it important?

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Diversity and Inclusion

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Flexible working can help solve challenges
• Gender pay gap
• High turnover
• Attracting employees
• Absenteeism
• Budget limitations
• Ageing workforce

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Offering a better work/life balance
Can equal happier, more productive employees and improved retention
*compared to our sector average in this year’s Britain’s Healthiest Workplace study
15% lower absenteeism and
presenteeism rates*
(affecting productivity)
25% higher
job satisfaction*
23% higher work
engagement*
67% employees felt our
work-life balance
interventions had improved
their health and wellbeing

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Supports long term sustainability
• Can save money on travel and
office space / equipment
• Improve retention
• Allow your most talented
employees to thrive

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Flexibility must genuinely work for both parties

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Making it work for you
How could the business
benefit from people working
away from fixed locations or
at fixed times?
Make a list of all the benefits
and what the flexible solution
could be to help you get
there.
What would our employees
like to do?
Ask your employees if they
would be interested in having
flexibility around working
hours/location and what
benefit they would see from
this change.
Match the potential
solutions to employee
recommendations to
develop a shortlist of
approaches.
Consider the risks and
challenges to the approaches.
What is your communication
strategy?
Communication is key. Think
about not just those working
flexibly but the wider
company and customers/
clients if relevant.

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• You don’t have to be a big business
to embrace flexible workingBig vs small
• It’s important to make arrangements
that genuinely benefit both the
employee and employer
Flexible does
not always ≠
better
• Flexible working can open all kinds
of possibilities for moving away from
a fixed location and fixed hours
Think beyond
part-time

12. Forster Communications
+44 (0)20 7403 2230
www.forster.co.uk
@Forster_Comms
Gillian Daines
gillian@forster.co.uk
@GillDaines