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New guidance on flexible working launched

16 October 2009

The Commission has today (16 October) launched new flexible working guidance aimed at improving employee productivity, lowering business costs and meeting the needs of modern families.

Working Better: The managers’ guide to flexible working was launched by Commission Chair Trevor Phillips at the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce’s Annual General Meeting.

It includes a step by step process for managers of small and large companies to implement effective flexible working practices and features examples from leading companies that have implemented flexible working policies including BT, Sainsbury’s, National Grid and IBM.

Among the benefits are:

• Higher staff retention and lower recruitment and training costs
• Reduced absenteeism, overtime and workplace stress
• More efficient use of office space
• Enhanced reputation as an employer
• Access to new talent pools
• Better succession planning
• Less commuting for employees by working from home or satellite offices.

The Guidance has been developed as a direct response to feedback from businesses engaged in the Commission’s Working Better project – an initiative that has been developing new ways for employers to work to meet the needs of business and modern families.

Commission Chair Trevor Phillips said:

“Flexibility is a tool many British businesses use to attract and retain quality staff. Flexible working makes good business sense not only in maximising productivity but by providing a powerful tool to respond to customer needs.

“Many companies are using flexibility creatively to respond to recession, enabling them to cut costs while retaining skilled staff. This avoids the expense of hiring and training new staff when the economy recovers.

“As we look towards an economic recovery, having the best talent in place and the ability to respond to customer needs will be crucial to the speed at which a company recovers.”

Case studies:

BT has implemented flexible working policies across its workforce including a work from home initiative that has:

• Reduced absenteeism by 20 per cent
• Reduced travel times by a collective 1,800 years
• Reduced office costs by £500 million
• Increased productivity with home workers up to 30 per cent more productive than office colleagues
• Improved service quality with home-based call centre operators providing comparable or better quality responses than office colleagues.

Ends

Download: Working Better: A Managers’ Guide to Flexible Working (pdf)

Guidance for small businesses (SMEs): A Short Guide to...Flexible Working

See more: Working better

Notes to editors

The Commission has also launched flexible working guidance specifically for small businesses.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission
The Commission is a statutory body established under the Equality Act 2006, which took over the responsibilities of Commission for Racial Equality, Disability Rights Commission and Equal Opportunities Commission. It is the independent advocate for equality and human rights in Britain. It aims to reduce inequality, eliminate discrimination, strengthen good relations between people, and promote and protect human rights. The Commission enforces equality legislation on age, disability, gender, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation or transgender status, and encourages compliance with the Human Rights Act. It also gives advice and guidance to businesses, the voluntary and public sectors, and to individuals.