Nikki Slowey (Co-founder, Flexbility Works)
We’ve just published our latest annual Flex for Life report, looking at what workers and employers think of flexible working, and there’s a clear message for employers.
Flexible working is here to stay, and it will continue to grow steadily, even in industries that have traditionally had little flexibility for staff.
Overall, the new data shows 67% of workers work flexibly, up from 61% last year and 46% pre-pandemic.
Among frontline workers, 63% work flexibly and 35% don’t. But in manufacturing, just 43% work flexibly and 58% don’t.
This is important because our data also shows how much frontline workers, including those in manufacturing, would like flexible working, and whether they think it’s possible in their current role.
Nearly two thirds (62%) of frontline workers who don’t work flexibly would like flexibility, and one in three (34%) think some form of flexible working is possible in their current role without impacting performance.
It’s true that creating greater flexible working is more challenging in manufacturing settings than an office environment. But the business case for flexible working is strong, whichever industry you work in. A total of 71% of employers told us flexible working is good for their business, 75% of employers said flexible working helped them retain good staff, 60% said it increased the quality and quantity of candidates during recruitment and 55% said flex helped to reduce skills shortages.
We found the top five types of flexible working currently used by frontline workers are:
- 33% flexible start and finish times
- 28% some working from home or hybrid
- 24% part time
- 24% easy shift swapping
- 16% reliable, predictable shift patterns
We found similar responses when we asked what types of flexibility frontline workers would like more of in their current role:
- 25% flexibility on start and finish times
- 22% some hybrid or home working
- 16% full time remote working
- 16% compressed hours (ie 5 days’ hours worked over 4 longer days)
Clearly not all of these will work for every employer and every role. But perhaps there are some you haven’t yet considered?
We’ve worked with many employers to help them create flexible working for frontline staff, and from our experience there are three key points to get right.
Listen to staff
Workers know their jobs better than anyone else, and they know what changes are possible, practical and more efficient to the business. Managers don’t need to have all the ideas. Given the benefits flexible working can deliver for people and for businesses, we would encourage you and your team to explore what workers think is possible.
Be open and creative about different kinds of flex
Flexible working can look different in frontline roles. All flex is ultimately about giving workers more choice and control over when, where and how much they work. Hybrid may be off the table for good reason but part time hours might work, or having an input to rotas, advanced notice of shifts, or – as one in seven frontline workers told us – being able to swap shifts easily. Some of these are seemingly small changes but they can make a big difference.
Trial new ways of working
Any change of working pattern can be done on a trial basis at first to test whether it works for people and for the organisation. Make sure you communicate clearly with staff on how long the trial period is, what you will be measuring, and what information will be shared back with staff and when. For more data insights, our evidenced business case for flexible working and our practical 7 steps to flex that will help you get flexible working right.