Beyond Legislation: How To Embed Flexible Working into Your EVP

On April 6th, 2024, new flexible working legislation will come into force, making it easier for employees to request flexible working arrangements. Surely, this is a good move? Well, kind of. It’s definitely a step in the right direction to give employees more autonomy and freedom to work how they want, but it might not make much of a difference when it comes to normalising flexible working.?

In this month’s Flexatarian, we’ll explain everything you need to know about the new rules and additional steps companies can take to normalise and champion flexible working.?

This newsletter will feature ??

?? What is the flexible working legislation?

?? 3 ways companies can prepare for the new legislation?

?? Challenges that come with new flexible working legislation?

?? Beyond the rules - 4 ways to embed flexible working into your EVP?

?? An invite to an exclusive EVP Masterclass you don’t want to miss

? Join our EVP Masterclass ?

Did you know that companies that are transparent about their EVP are 4x more attractive to prospective talent?

But where do you even start with building a stand-out Employer Brand Proposition?

On the 4th of April, at 11:30am GMT, Co-founder & CEO of Flexa, LinkedIn Top Voice and EVP expert, Molly Johnson-Jones will be delivering an in depth EVP workshop LIVE for the first time to a limited number of HR and People leaders looking to start building a powerful EVP from scratch, refresh their existing EVP, or those already knowledgeable and wanting to supercharge their EVP efforts with exclusive data and insights. ?Space is limited to ensure ample group discussion, so I look forward to seeing you there! Register here.

?? What is the new flexible working legislation?

The new rules will allow employees to request flexible working from day one of their new job, rather than having to wait 26 weeks which is what they previously would have had to do. Here is a quick overview of some of the other changes that come into play with the new legislation ??

• Day one rights - Employees can request flexible working on the first day of employment. This means that from day one, they can ask an employer for changes to how long, when, and where they work.??
• Two requests in any twelve-month period - Employees can now make two requests in any twelve-month period, rather than the current one request.??
• Requests must be dealt with within two months - Before the legislation employers would have three months to get back to employees, this has now changed to two months.?

No explanation is needed - Employees don’t need to give their employees a reason when making a flexible working request.

?? How can companies prepare for the new legislation?

Flexible working isn’t anything new, but for some companies, this new legislation may raise questions they haven’t been asked before. To help companies prepare for the upcoming changes, we’ve put together some top tips:

?? Review your current flexible working policies: The new legislation is the perfect opportunity to revisit and share your existing flexible working policies with employees. Make sure you incorporate the new rights and clearly explain how they will impact employees.

?? Upskill your managers: Managing flexible working needs a different approach from traditional in-person work. Invest in training for your managers to effectively lead remote and flexible teams.?

?? Clear communication: It's important to clearly explain the implications of the new legislation to your employees. A recent survey by Acas revealed that 70% of employees are unaware of the new rules and their right to request flexible working. Your employees need to be in the know about this as soon as possible!

?? Challenges that come with new flexible working legislation?

? Employers can still say no: While the new legislation grants employees the right to request flexible working, employers can still say no.??

Employers can reject an application for any of the following reasons:

• extra costs that will damage the business
• the work cannot be reorganised among other staff
• people cannot be recruited to do the work
• flexible working will affect quality and performance
• the business will not be able to meet customer demand
• there’s a lack of work to do during the proposed working times
• the business is planning changes to the workforce

This could present challenges for employees who need flexibility. For many people flexible working is an essential, not a nice to have. Take our CEO Molly as a prime example. Molly suffers from an autoimmune disease which means she physically can’t go into the office every day of the week. There are many other people like Molly who without flexible working simply can’t work.?

?? It’s not normalising flexible working: Despite the introduction of new legislation, there still remains a stigma surrounding flexible working in many workplaces. We can introduce all the policies we want but without a cultural shift, flexible working will continue to be viewed as something that is out of the ordinary and not a given right that we should all have.?

?? It’s not focusing on the real issue: Flexible working is so much more than making a request. It’s fundamentally about creating inclusive workplaces. There are many factors that make up a company’s EVP (Employee Value Proposition), company culture, management attitudes, and technology that can significantly impact the success of flexible working initiatives. Addressing these broader issues is needed if we really want to create inclusive workplaces.

?? No clarity before applying for the role: Requests can only be made once a candidate starts their role, which means they're going into a job not knowing if they will be able to work flexibly. The lack of clarity on a company’s flexible working policy can lead to mismatches between candidates' expectations and the actual work environment. If companies are serious about championing flexible working, they need to be transparent at the point of sharing the job description. This will save time for both the candidate and the employer in the long run.

?? People will be treated differently: There is a risk that employees who request flexible working arrangements may be treated differently compared to their employees who work traditional hours. Just look at Dell, who recently announced that employees working from home aren’t eligible for promotion.? This is again positioning flexible working as something that is out of the ordinary and only needed in given circumstances. Embedding flexible working into your EVP from the get-go means there will be no need to have such legislation in place and create situations where flexible working needs to be a request.

??How to embed flexible working into your EVP?

The flexible working legislation has certainly sparked conversations about flexible working and what it could mean for employers and employees. However, one area that needs more emphasis is how to integrate flexible working into your EVP. Your EVP is essentially what attracts employees to work for you. Embedding flexible working into your EVP from the outset means you can attract talent that aligns with your values and needs.

Here are four steps you can take to get started ??

1. Assess your current situation: Start by looking at your company's current policies, culture, and infrastructure to spot areas that could support flexible working arrangements. Think about things such as job roles, technology requirements, and communication processes.?
2. Create a flexible working policy: Create a clear and concise flexible working policy that outlines the options available to employees, such as remote work, flexible hours, or a 4-day week. Define the eligibility criteria, expectations, and any communication protocols.
3. Communicate and train: Once the policy is in place, communicate it to all employees and provide training to managers on how to uphold flexible working arrangements. Flexible teams are different from fully in-office teams. This means a different style of leadership is needed. Regularly review and adapt the policy as needed so that it remains effective for your organisation.
4. Shout about it: Once you have your flexible working policies and benefits in place, it's time to let everyone know. By using a platform like Flexa, you can make sure you're attracting aligned talent who value your ways of working. Making it clear that you're an inclusive employer that champions flexible working will place you at the forefront when it comes to attracting diverse talent and creating an inclusive workplace

? Join our EVP Masterclass ?

If you're genuinely committed to becoming an inclusive employer and attracting top talent, legislation is not enough. Did you know that companies that are transparent about their EVP are 4x more attractive to prospective talent?

But where do you even start with building a stand-out Employer Brand Proposition?

On the 4th of April, at 11:30am GMT, Co-founder & CEO of Flexa, LinkedIn Top Voice and EVP expert, Molly Johnson-Jones will be delivering an in depth EVP workshop LIVE for the first time to a limited number of HR and People leaders looking to start building a powerful EVP from scratch, refresh their existing EVP, or those already knowledgeable and wanting to supercharge their EVP efforts with exclusive data and insights. ?Space is limited to ensure ample group discussion, so I look forward to seeing you there! Register here.