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Organisations and
people
This is the fifth
of our series of articles aimed at human resource managers, line
managers and others responsible for organising, managing,
supporting, recruiting, training and retaining staff and with an
interest in introducing more flexible working methods.
In this article we
outline the need for personnel policies for flexible working and
set out a generic list of policy areas that can be used as a
checklist in drawing up specific policies.
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Policies
for flexible working
Policy
overview:
Personnel
departments are normally responsible for developing and issuing
policies relating to working arrangements and practices. They also translate these policies into practical procedures
and issue guidelines to support their implementation.
In
some organisations all this information is contained within a
staff handbook. Nowadays
the handbook often exists on the corporate intranet, where the
latest version is always available for consultation.
Given
the diversity of employers and working practices, it is not
possible to be exhaustive.
The following sections are simply intended to provide
initial checklists for HR managers.
There may be important issues that need to be addressed
in some organisations that we do not cover here.
Whilst it is not possible to be
prescriptive, the following notes should help HR managers
develop personnel policies that are appropriate for different
forms of flexible working.
It should be noted that these guidelines
are most relevant during the piloting and transition phase, when
different forms of flexible working are being evaluated and some
staff are still working conventionally.
In the longer term it is to be hoped that the whole
organisation will adopt greater flexibility and, as a
consequence, policies can be simplified.
Policy checklist:
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Contracts
of employment |
Are
there conditions in employment contracts which are no
longer relevant, e.g. specifying the place and hours of
work, specifying a requirement to be able to drive, etc
Do
travel-related benefits need reviewing?
Take
care not to attempt to change contracts of employment
unilaterally.
Other
than where people are to work mainly from home, only
visiting an office occasionally, the stated place of
work, for Inland Revenue purposes, should generally
remain the office.
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Standard
practice |
As part
of normal working practice, should all staff
normally be expected to work flexibly as job
responsibilities demand?
This may mean occasionally working in a different
location or to non-standard working hours.
Does the
employer endeavour to minimise any domestic impact of
this requirement? |
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Working
time |
Are
there core hours, when all staff are expected to be
available for work unless sick, on leave or otherwise
absent, e.g. 10.00am to 4.00pm Monday to Friday?
What
are the office hours, when office services and staff
access for work are available?
When
is attendance required at the office, if at all, for
example at least during core hours 2 days per week?
How
are actual times at the office agreed in advance? (this
is important not only for managers and colleagues but
also for desk management)?
What
are minimum and maximum working times, for example
minimum of full contracted hours each month, maximum of
48 hours per week?
What
rights do line managers have to require attendance at
the office on specific days and at specific times, what
notice do they need to give?
Are
timesheets required, showing location of work, days
taken as annual leave, sickness and other absences? What
are the submission and approval mechanisms?
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Working
location |
Where
are staff expected to work when not in the office, for
example at home, at a client's site, in a telecentre,
etc.?
Should
staff working away from the office be at all times
accessible by phone and e-mail?
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Health
and safety |
How
are risk assessments carried out?
What
are the respective responsibilities of the employer and
employee?
Are
certain types of work or activities not allowed in
certain locations, for example using a phone whilst
driving, using hazardous equipment at home, having
business meetings at home?
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Eligibility |
Identify
who is eligible for flexible working, and indicate why
this is fair.
Are
there other forms of flexibility that may be available
for a wider group of staff, e.g. flexitime only?
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Variations |
Identify
who is authorised to vary policies and what the
processes are. |
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Occasional/temporary
arrangements |
Flexible
working should not be placed in a straightjacket.
What are the arrangements for sanctioning
occasional or temporary variations to normal working
practices? |
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Termination
of arrangements |
Flexible
working arrangements may need to be suspended by line
managers where business requirements and/or performance
warrant this
Also
individuals' circumstances may change, or flexible
working may not suit them, in which case they should be
able to return to conventional arrangements.
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Provision
of facilities in the office |
Will the
employer provide a permanent office desk for every staff
member, especially where work patterns warrant shared
facilities and office space? |
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Provision
of facilities at home |
How
will the employer provide, or subsidise the costs of,
equipment to allow staff to work effectively and safely
at their homes?
How
will this equipment be installed and supported?
Will the employer have right of access to the
equipment?
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Insurance
and care of equipment |
Employees
should be expected to take good care of company
equipment.
Who
is responsible for insurance? - equipment, premises,
third-party, etc.
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Confidentiality |
Employees
should take care to protect company information.
Are
there rules or guidelines regarding working in public
places?
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Payment
of expenses |
How
will the employer compensate staff for any additional
costs associated with working flexibly?
How
(if at all) will the employer benefit from any cost
savings enjoyed by the employee?
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Training |
What
training is offered in flexible working, including
health and safety issues?
Is
this training compulsory?
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Next article:
Selection
and recruitment
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