Feature insight - A family affair
these respondents admitting they check multiple times a day. Less than a quarter of UK employees (22%) only check their phone or email once over a two-week holiday. Over two-thirds (67%) believed that if they did not check their emails or phone during their holiday then it would change the relationship they have with their line manager or boss. What’s more, some 61% have had to miss an important event (including a family birthday, an important school activity of their child, a wedding or a funeral) because of work, and 38% say they have suffered from work-related stress. Rob Brouwer, chief executive officer of Jobrapido, comments: “With the majority of the UK regularly working more than the traditional 40-hour week, it is essential they are rewarded in some way for their investment. While some are recognised with time in lieu, it should not be the case that so many in the workforce are just accepting this to be par for the course or fearful they could lose their job or risk a promotion by asking for some type of remuneration. Employers need to consider what message this spells out, particularly if they are keen to retain crucial talent in their company.” Brouwer adds: “With nearly four in ten UK workers suffering from work-related stress, it is essential that employers and senior management look at new ways to manage employees’ workloads. Holiday or time outside the workplace should be recognised as a time when employees can recharge and truly rest so they are in position to give their very best when they return to work and crucially mitigate against the risk of work-related stress.” Phipps, meanwhile, believes the answer lies in greater flexibility and trust. He says: “Individuals that want to blend work and life and work more flexibly should be able to, while those that want to keep the two separate should also be able to. The most important thing is for businesses to create a culture of trust so that employees can be open when things are not going well, and work together to fix it.” It seems flexibility is increasingly being seen by employees as an expectation rather than a perk. More than two-fifths (43%) told a Hibob survey that they would like access to flexible working arrangements as part of their employee benefits package.
This, of course, also has implications for recruitment. For example, in a study by Totaljobs, well over half of respondents (59%) specified flexible working as the most important benefit when looking for a job, while a survey by law firm alliance Ius Laboris found that flexible working has an influence on 89% of individuals when it comes to deciding whether to join a company. ...attitude of employers, with many merely paying lip service to the concept of flexibility Helen Livesey, senior business director at Hays Payroll Management, says flexible approaches to working hours are more readily available to payroll professionals than they ever have been. She points to results from the Hays UK Salary and Recruiting Trends 2019 Guide that shows 86% of organisations offered flexible working over the last year, compared to 70% the previous year. Also, more employers now appreciate the importance of an appealing work-life balance to attract new staff, as figures rose from 15% last year to 18% this year. Livesey says: “Our research shows that new entrants to the workplace look set to build a better work-life balance than generations before them. Almost two-thirds of ‘generation Z’, those born after 1995, rate their work-life balance as being either good or very good, which surpassed all other age groups surveyed. The fulfilment younger workers are experiencing from commitment to their current jobs reflects new expectations of flexible working schedules upon entering the workforce.” However, Livesey also points out that sentiment about work-life balance was lower among older age groups, with baby boomers revealing that they are the most dissatisfied with how much time they spend at work. Almost half (49%) of this age group believe their work-life balance is between average and very poor, and 36% would change their working hours in a bid to improve their work-life balance. Livesey adds: “Despite the uptake
in flexible working offerings, positive evaluation of work-life balance has remained fairly static from last year at 55%, indicating that employers can still do more.” So, if a greater number of employers are offering flexible working but employees feel their work-life balance isn’t improving, what’s the problem? Amrit Sandhar, founder of consultancy The Engagement Coach, believes it’s the attitude of employers, with many merely paying lip service to the concept of flexibility. He says: “Many organisations are focused on providing flexible working for their employees but while on paper this might be seen as a great benefit, in our experience, the practical realities can be very different. “Often leaders and managers are uncomfortable when they can’t see people at their desks, and with this lack of visibility, how could you possibly guarantee people were actually working? Then there’s the challenge of how much work people really get done. For those of us who struggle with the whole concept of flexible working, we might imagine people sitting in their pyjamas watching daytime TV, waiting for an email to come in that they might need to respond to. If they can’t answer their phone within two rings – what were they really up to? Suspicion sets in.” Sandhar insists many employers are missing the point of flexible working and forgetting the overall goals. He explains: “The ultimate goal is for employees to be at their best, thereby applying the talents that they were recruited for, helping make the organisation even better. Would a one- hour commute to the office during busy school drop-off times, make employees more productive? How about tying them into working hours that may not work for them? “If employees are concerned about how they are going to pick up their child from an after-school club each week, how focused will they be on their work? With an ageing population, many employees have the added responsibilities of looking after elderly loved ones, as well as children, on top of trying to be brilliant at work. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to work for an organisation that would allow you to take care of your personal responsibilities, knowing this would allow you to be your best at work?”
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Issue 50 | May 2019
| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward |
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