Flexible working that is.
According to research
Digital Mums
commissioned in the summer, 7 in 10 of us would like to have flexible working hours but only 12% have asked for it. This news suggests that the laws introduced by Government over three years ago to allow everyone the legal right to request flexible working, aren't working.
Why? B
ecause UK employees think dropping the F-bomb
would be viewed negatively by their bosses and have an adverse impact on their careers. This fear factor is most significant among millennials, with 40% saying they'd be too nervous or worried to ask for flexible working hours despite 8 in 10 wanting this way of working.
That's why we launched our campaign to #CleanUpTheFWord as part of our #WorkThatWorks Movement
which aims for
flexible working to be seen as the norm for everyone and not just the reserve of a 'lucky' few. We need to change the current view of flex as a one-sided perk for women. Flexible working is something that works for employers and all employees - regardless of personal circumstance.
We know first hand that it's as good for businesses as it is for employees. At Digital Mums we not only empower mums to find work that works around their families by training them in digital and social media skills, we also operate a 100% flexible working policy. Only 14% of our team are full-time and office based; 86% work part-ti
me and remotely; 17% never step foot in the office. And we've grown from offering one training programme to 20 mums a month to
two training programmes
to over 100 mums a month in the last three years thanks to them.
So to help more businesses see the benefit of consigning 'working 9-5' to the karaoke cl
oset, we've been busy campaigning to change the Government's current definition of flexible working from something that focuses solely on 'a way of working that suits an
employee's
needs' to 'work that works for employees and businesses'. And we're a BIG step closer!
During our #WorkThatWorks Week in September, we held a meeting of f******* minds with the 'who's who' of flexible working to discuss all things F-Word.
Chaired by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and hosted by our very own co-founder, Kathryn Tyler, the question on everyone's lips was how to make the current government definition of flexible working more fit for purpose for today's working world.
After 90 minutes of lively discussion and a fair few follow-up emails, we're now really excited to say that our new definition of flexible working has been put forward to government in the hope that they hear the thousands of people who signed our petition and the thousands more who want flexible working but are too afraid to say the F-Word.
Our proposed new definition of flexible working:
Flexible working (or agile working as it is also called) is a working arrangement which allows flexibility on how long, where, when and at what times employees work. It can include working pattern (for example, part-time, flexitime or compressed hours); working location (such as working from home); or working arrangement (for example, job share). The benefits for employers can include improved staff retention and increased productivity, and for employees, a greater balance with commitments outside of work.
