Perks that a workplace offers its employees are fast-becoming almost on par with the pay-packet.
The standard offering of salary plus pension and training is not always enough in 2019 to swing the pendulum towards a potential recruit choosing to join a company. Employees today are placing far more importance on the aspects of their life that their work can support, as well as what they receive whilst they’re within a workplace’s walls.
Benefits such as medical supports, insurances, discounts, memberships and more are far more accessible to an employee through their employer, so it’s no wonder that these ‘added extras’ are now becoming commonplace amongst a workforce’s working patterns.
Flexible working is one such perk.
The idea of flexible working is built around satisfying the needs of the employee’s situation or circumstance in life. So, for example, if an employee has a family commitment i.e. a school run, they can alter their hours accordingly to factor in fulfilling that commitment.
Businesses have adopted flexible working to varying degrees. Some approach a situation like the aforementioned by making the flexibility a ‘pre-booked’ and ‘fixed’ part of the working hours – essentially so there is an ongoing understanding of what an employee’s core hours will be. Some, however, adopt a full ‘trust’ in the flexibility to allow the employee to make snap decisions on what their working hours will be on a week-by-week (some even day-by-day) basis.
Recruitment Resourcer at Recruitment Solutions, Andrew Schofield, has been the beneficiary of a flexible approach to the working day. After his young son, Oscar, started nursery this summer, Andrew was afforded the ability to tailor his working hours to factor in the change to a routine in his life.
On this, he said:
I now start slightly later on a Monday morning and finish a little earlier so I can do a drop-off and pick-up at Oscar’s nursery.
The option to do this has been invaluable to me as obviously having a child has altered my life pattern. A couple of our clients take a flexible approach to their employees and from having the opportunity to work on both the client and client sides of the fence I’ve seen what it means to both parties.
I think we’re only going to see more and more businesses offering opportunities to work flexibly as the lines between work and home life blur more.
