Home working, also known as teleworking or remote working, is a work-life practice that has grown significantly in the last decade thanks largely to the technology that has made it possible for workers to perform their roles from home (outside the office) during business hours.  As more employees take up these arrangements, one of the questions still not altogether answered is whether staff under these arrangements, are more productive than their office-based counter parts.

One could consider that a revolution has occurred in the workplace in the last few decades. These changes such as socio-demographic shifts – increasing numbers of women in the workforce and an aging work population as well as technological advancements are affecting people’s expectations and needs from the workplace. An increase in the number of women participating in the workplace has contributed to the growth of dual income households, putting additional pressure on individuals to manage their work and their personal life. New technologies allow people to work faster and perform job tasks from any location at any time. We have also witnessed a change in cultural values where employees want to achieve a better work-life balance, rather than spending more time in the office.

A recent study was completed by a student at the London School of Economics and Political Science.  It comprised over 500 respondents to an on-line questionnaire and interviews with 28 employees and 12 managers.  The research suggested that the benefits of homeworking diminish over time for both the employee and the employer.  In practice when employees first take up such an arrangement it is seen as a ‘privilege’ and the individual feels indebted to their manager and will therefore go beyond what is required.  However, if homeworking is the norm, as more employees take up flexible arrangements, or as the employee continues in the arrangement, these positive behaviours decline and the arrangement is perceived more as an ‘entitlement’ in much the same way as paid holiday.

The study suggests that homeworking initially enhances performance and that the main value of homeworking is achieving a work-life balance and avoiding the daily commute to work.  From an organisation’s perspective homeworking, essentially offering flexibility, is seen as an investment in the individual and also a potential cost saving if desk space can be freed up, particularly when the organization is expanding.

So how can you make sure your organisation’s flexible arrangements are working for individuals and for your business?   Firstly, it is about managing expectations.  Regularly checking in with the staff member to make sure they are clear about their personal objectives and deliverables.   Secondly it will be important to review the arrangement annually during a performance review conversation to make sure it is still benefiting the individual and the organisation. So is home working / flexible work arrangement sometime you should put on your ‘to do’ list?

Next month sees the publication of the RSA (Royal Society of Arts) report on the Review of Modern Employment which has been commissioned by the Government.  This promises to be a far-reaching.  It will look at ways to ensure that the regulatory framework surrounding employment, and the support provided to businesses and workers, is keeping pace with changes in the labour market and the economy.

It will also examine how flexibility can be maintained while supporting job security and workplace rights, and whether new employment practices can be better used as an opportunity for underrepresented groups.

Some of the initial consultation has already highlighted the elements that a wide group of both manual and professional employees describe as ‘good work’.  They include –

• Fair wage
• Security of employment
• Some degree of autonomy and flexibility
• Productive and useful work
• Opportunity to progress and to exercise a skill (or skills) and get better at it

One of the recent changes in the labour market is the rapid move towards a ‘gig’ economy. A ‘gig’ economy has been described it as “a labour market characterised by the prevalence of short-term contracts or freelance work, as opposed to permanent jobs”.    The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) recently reported that within 12 years, 50% of the workforce will be freelance.  Together with the changing demographics and technology, the pace of change will only increase.

With these changes afoot, the human resources profession together with their colleagues on the senior management team, need to understand what these trends might mean for the way we engage and motivate the whole workforce.   This is not just about engaging with paid employees, but also freelancers and contractors so that the resourcing and retention strategies make sense.

Why not talk to us about your organisation and how you might think about what good work looks like for you.  We’d love to hear from you.

If you would like to receive a link to the report, please email me and I will send a link as soon as it is published.

Research shows that 46% of people in the UK want to work flexibly, yet there are only 8.7% of jobs are advertised as such.   This doesn’t just apply to women.  47% of fathers say that they wish to reduce their hours or move to a less stressful role.  There is also evidence that 30% of employees would choose flexible working over a pay rise, yet just under half of employees say flexible working is not encouraged in their workplace.

Many organisations, particularly small to medium-sized businesses, find it a challenge to keep women once they start having families.   Part of the challenge is making sure the policies and procedure about maternity and paternity leave are clear to line managers and put into practice by them, particularly around the KIT (keeping in touch) days and being in regular contact during the leave period.

So what can be done?  Having a flexible working policy is a good start.  Some employers have started introducing parental coaching to help both new parents and the organisation adapt to their new identity and to think through what would work best for both parties, making sure any obstacles can be overcome.

In addition, it can be useful to have a senior person in the organisation who has made a successful return to work to act as a role model in this regard to new parents in the organisation.  Companies who have introduced this type of ‘mentor’ role have found that it has helped managed expectations from both the employer’s and the employee’s perspective.

If you want further information check out the Working Families website.  They have carried out research and have written some useful guides  – https://www.workingfamilies.org.uk.

If you are facing some of these challenges why not talk to us.  We’d be delighted to talk them through with you.

Today, about one in seven of those in employment are self-employed.  Self-employment increased rapidly during the 1980s and again over the last 15 years. So why is this and what are the implications for employers?

While the self-employed have seen the gap in earnings with employees widen to their disadvantage, they nevertheless, have the very highest levels of job satisfaction: they derive greater value from the nature of their work and say they have more control over it, appearing to find it easier to manage a good work-life balance.

In the past it tended to be older males who were self-employed, but this is now changing with a rise in female and part-time self-employed, and by growth in a broader range of industries and occupations providing personal services and professional advice.

Despite recent recessions only a small proportion of the increase can be attributed to the inability to find dependent employment, although in some cases job loss was the event that originally led some people to switch to self-employment.

So what are the implications?
Employers probably need to pay the self-employed more attention.   It is clear that business owners and HR departments must manage a more diverse workforce that may consist of self-employed workers.

Having clear HR policies can help bring clarity to the employment relationship and expectations about behaviour.   It is also important that employers are clear who are its employees and who are contracted to provide services through businesses or as ‘freelancers’.

If you have any questions about the employment status of your people or would simply like reassurance about your current employment practice, please get in touch.   We’d be happy to advise.