The Labour party recently announced that should they return to government they would introduce flexible working from day one, with the intention that there would be a presumption for flexible working with all roles. It’s hard to see how this could work in practice – but of course it all depends on what we actually mean by flexible working.
Talk of flexible working brings with it a range of assumptions and biases. Many people understand flexible working to mean working part time or some form of reduced hours – very often for family reasons. It is, regretfully, seen as omething of interest primarily to the mothers of young children. Within that somewhat limited definition it could be possible to have a legislative framework in which any full time job should be considered as suitable for working fewer hours. The 37.5 hour working week is after all, a fairly arbitrary invention.
But flexible working is so much more than that. All too often we look at it through the family friendly lens. This article from the Guardian illustrates that nicely. Check out the accompanying stock image (also included at the top of this blog). A woman in a business suit, baby on shoulder. Flexible working isn’t something that mums want when they have a small child – but this is how it is often portrayed – both in the media and within organisations.
There are so many reasons people want to work flexibly. Some of these are practical; caring responsibilities, financial reasons (just consider the cost of commuting), disabilities, children. Others are lifestyle or wellbeing choices. Combining work with study or hobbies, the desire for greater life work balance. None is ‘better’ or more important than others.
Yes, women do the bulk of the childcare in our society, and broader care responsibilities too. That’s part of a bigger problem. The solution isn’t to make it easier for women to get flexible working, but to make flexible working an accepted norm for everyone. The 26 week wait to request flexible working is undoubtedly a barrier to flexibility. The statutory framework could also be much improved, not least because it’s all too easy to reject a request on the flimsiest of grounds. Of course, in our internal policies we can always choose to do so much better than the minimum statutory requirements.
But when it comes to flexible working the real issue (and barrier) however, is attitudes.
Too often, when it comes to flexible working, the answer is no,now what’s the question?
There is all too often a belief that flexible working will be exploited. That it’s an excuse for skiving. That there’s nothing in it for the organisation. That men don’t need it, and those that do are somehow weak or available for jokes. That those who work flexibly are somehow less committed and motivated.
This is the stuff that needs to change, perhaps more than the legislation itself.
Perhaps we can start with our stock images – and our own internal framing. Where’s your flexible working policy? In with your employee benefits – or next to the maternity and adoption policy?