Flexible working refers to a work arrangement that allows employees greater control over when, where, and how they work. It provides alternatives to the traditional nine-to-five, office-based work structure, so that individuals can tailor their hours, location or patterns to suit their needs or personal circumstances better.

Such agile work practices bring a world of advantages not only to employees but also to organisations.  

From an employee perspective, benefits are widely recognised, as the flexibility enables individuals to effectively balance their work with caregiving responsibilities, personal commitments like volunteering or side passions or hobbies. Each person has unique needs and passions, and the motivations driving them are as diverse as individuals themselves.

From a corporate perspective, flexible working has gained significant momentum in the past few years, with a growing number of organisations taking steps to incorporate it into their policies and work culture. Indeed, a solid program of flexible working arrangements comes with many business upsides, which we will cover in the next article in our Flexible Working series. 

In this feature, we give you a high-level overview of how your organisation can offer flexibility at work.

Flexible working can take various forms and typical arrangements tend to fall into three common categories:

• Flexibility in working schedules, such as a compressed work week, flexibility in when hours can be worked.
• Flexibility in the number of hours worked by any one individual, such as part-time and job sharing.
• Flexibility in the place of work, such as working from home or other locations.

Employers today offer various flexible working arrangements in each category. We see considerable variation in definitions and styles as the evidence base evolves. The examples below cover just some of the most common approaches observed across industries:

Flexibility in working schedules

This is when an organisation allows a full-time employee to work a set number of hours based on their choice and within the agreed limit set by the employer. Sometimes, these are specific hours within the “core hours” of business. Core hours are usually defined as key hours every employee is available for team meetings and discussions. 

For example, an employee may be required to work 40 hours per week and be available from Monday to Friday during “core hours” (e.g., from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm). The employee can determine start and finish times to accommodate other commitments as long as 40 hours are completed weekly. 

Another instance of work schedule flexibility is when an employee works 40 hours per week, without adhering to “core hours”. The employee may get approval to adjust their weekly work schedule to accommodate commitments such as childcare, parental care, or attending cross-country meetings that require staying up late for an evening call. 

Flexibility in number of hours worked

This arrangement can take the form of reduced hours, part-time work or even job share. 

Part-time work can be based on a fixed or flexible schedule determined by the role.  

For example, an employee may work a regular three-day week (Monday/Wednesday/Friday), or a more flexible 20-hour week with a schedule pre-determined by the employee and their supervisor. 

Job shares are becoming increasingly popular, allowing two or more part-time workers to share the duties of one full-time job. It can work well for most role types, from support functions and knowledge-based roles all the way to leadership, team management, and strategic functions. To accommodate changing personal and lifestyle commitments, certain employees are granted the flexibility to determine how they allocate their time.

For example, one employee works Tuesday/Thursday and the other works Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Tasks and salaries are thus shared or divided in an agreement between the employer and the employees to ensure the work gets done. The two workers split the work of a single position 60%/40% and share the salary accordingly. 

Flexibility in work location

The third category of flexibility concerns the work location of the employee.

The arrangement could be remote working or Working from Home (WFH), allowing employees to work from various locations full-time or on a fixed number of days per week via a dedicated IT network linked to the office.   

For example, an employee may opt to work from home on occasions when engaged in complex development projects or when facilitating live training sessions to avoid distractions. Otherwise, their regular work location is the office. In another example, an employee works from home three days a week with the flexibility to choose two additional work-from-home days. This arrangement allows them to fit personal commitments around their work while still delivering a full day of work.

Parting thoughts

The advantages of flexible working arrangements are numerous, and it is a worthwhile investment. However, to fully reap benefits, it is crucial for managers and colleagues to wholeheartedly support these arrangements and dedicate time to adapt team processes accordingly to make the most of the flexibility. 

In the next article, we will discuss the benefits of flexible working arrangements: from agile response to business needs and cost savings to improved productivity, corporate culture and positive sustainability impact, These gains have been extensively documented. To find out more and get ready to implement flexible working in your organisation, consult the DEI Academy’s Flexible Working Guide with the latest inclusive approaches to introducing flexible working or download our Flexible Working Policy, easily adaptable to different organisations.