Attraction and Retention Series A focus on people and business. Flexible work practices: Assessment proformas Resource document 5

Transcription

1 Attraction and Retention Series A focus on people and business Flexible work practices: Assessment proformas Resource document 5 Issue 1 February 2009

2 Initial Checklist CREATING FLEXIBLE WORKPLACES Please use the following checklist to initially assess organisational and individual needs, to determine if the implementation of relevant Flexible Work Practices (FWP) will assist. Workforce analysis and planning will then be required to diagnose requirements, specific FWP solutions and implementation strategies (see framework section of this kit re Human Resource Information and Work Environment Survey Data). WHY To provide pro-active solutions to an environment of shifting demographics and changing client and employee expectations e.g. diversity, accessibility. Yes No Ageing workforce High absenteeism High turnover Low attraction Low retention Changing client expectations Changing employee requirements Need to provide a geographic/timeframe spread of services WHEN To effectively implement FWP to better balance organisational requirements and individual needs. Workforce planning projections suggest practice change Clients want different services Clients require delivery changes Prospective employees seek a variety of work practices Current employees require greater ability to balance commitments to remain WHO To match organisational and individual needs. Employee may retire early and organisation wants to retain knowledge and skills. Employee considering resignation due to partner relocation or other life commitments such as community, study or family responsibilities and organisation wants to retain. Employee wants to return to work but requires more balance to meet work and other life commitments. Organisation wants to attract individual s knowledge and skills but person requires less traditional work practices. Individual able to provide services in peak periods and/or in remote locations. WHAT To deliver high quality services in situations of peak periods, potential intellectual capital loss, and attraction competition and to better balance work and other life commitments. Telecommuting Job Sharing Aggregated / Averaging ordinary hours of work Part-Time Employment Part-Year Employment Career Break Schemes / Sabbatical Schemes Flexible Shift Arrangements HOW To effectively analyse and plan implementation to best fit business outcomes. Assess and link to strategic direction Link to business planning and business outcomes Link to changing government requirements, client and employee expectations Analyse turnover and absenteeism costs Versus attraction and retention savings Provide project proposal with outcomes focus and milestone plan TOTAL Flexible Work Practices - Assessment 2

3 Employer s assessment There is a wide range of strategies employers can use to create greater flexibility in the workplace to assist and support employees work life balance. Organisational commitment Commitment to work life balance is reflected in the organisation s values and goals. Incorporate work life balance initiatives into mission statements, strategic plans and operational plans. Establish activity plans and timeframes for introducing work life balance initiatives in the workplace. Take into consideration employee and organisational needs, costs, resources, impact on service delivery and productivity and government and health legislative and policy frameworks. Promote the organisation as an employer who supports work life balance initiatives. For example, include work life balance and flexibility details in promotional and educational material for careers in your agency, advertisements for roles etc Develop work life balance policy, and other relevant policies and programs that support flexible work and hours arrangements. Senior Management commitment Educate senior management about the importance of and benefits associated with work life balance strategies for the agency and staff. Recognise work life balance as a key attraction, retention and workforce planning strategy. Encourage senior management to actively support work life balance initiatives and walk the talk or role model work life balance. Encourage managers to be supportive of work life balance initiatives and be proactive in creating flexible workplaces. Ensure all managers attend any relevant training to gain the skills necessary to manage work life balance and effectively implement flexible work practices in the workplace. Make managers responsible and accountable for implementing flexible work practices, reducing staff turnover and increasing retention rates. This may be done through annual goal setting and performance appraisals. Cultural change Actively work towards changing the culture within your agency effective leadership is required to implement cultural change and create more supportive work environments for staff to balance work and life. Managers can assist by focusing on outputs as opposed to hours, encouraging employees to access flexible work practices and valuing all staff regardless of employment status. Include work life balance principles in training and development programs where relevant e.g. induction training, management development training, leadership programs and recruitment and selection training. Communication and awareness raising Make sure employees are informed of policies that provide flexible work options, and are able to access options available to them. Implement a staff communication strategy increase employee awareness about the agency s support for work life balance and better inform them about policies, employment conditions and options available to them. Communication strategies should be ongoing and may include global s, conducting seminars for staff, publicity through posters, brochures, articles in agency newsletters, inclusion in staff induction etc. Flexible Work Practices - Assessment 3

4 Support local networks/committees to provide employees with an avenue for sharing information about work life balance initiatives and issues, advocating for work life balance initiatives and encouraging others to get involved. Provide education, support and resources for employees to raise their awareness of work life balance policies and practices, and employee entitlements. Conduct seminars at the workplace on work life balance and flexible work practices. Equitable access to flexible work practices Develop measures that ensure equity in the way policies or programs are accessed by employees. Develop guidelines for assessment of requests for flexible work practices, including the decision-making process, negotiation and implementation. Ensure processes are in place to enable employees aggrieved about a decision affecting their work life balance to have their concerns addressed. Implementation Have you considered if you need working groups/work life balance co-ordinators who can assist managers and staff in the implementation of work life balance initiatives. Review any existing programs or services to assess whether they meet the needs of employees or whether they could be expanded to better meet work and family/personal needs. Identify existing services and determine whether they are suitable, available and affordable for employees. Network with other agencies and service providers to share information on existing or proposed work life balance initiatives, to avoid reinventing the wheel. Utilise best practice examples and adapt them to meet your agency and employee needs Ensure a collaborative approach to introducing flexible work practices involving all key stakeholders, forming appropriate partnerships and utilising appropriate expertise. Collect data to support work life balance initiatives. Record, report and monitor uptake of flexible work practices in order to measure success and recognise/reward positive initiatives, or highlight areas where improvements are required. This can assist in identifying systemic barriers and putting in place strategies to overcome them. Promotion of awards or rewards that recognise innovation and achievement in this area. Evaluation and review Ongoing evaluation and review of work life balance policies, programs and initiatives to ensure they remain current, relevant and response to employee and organisation needs. Ensure compliance with policy and legislation, and take appropriate action where non-compliance exists, to rectify problem areas. Flexible Work Practices - Assessment 4

5 Manager s Assessment There is a wide range of strategies managers can use to assist and support employee s balance their work and life. Management commitment Seek the support and commitment of senior management in your area for work life balance initiatives in the workplace Become better informed about work life balance strategies, relevant legislation, government and organisational policy frameworks and employee s employment conditions, to enable better understanding and management of work life balance practices. Model best practice work life balance initiatives from the top walk the talk. Workplace culture Promote a workplace culture that supports the needs of all staff to balance work and life. Promote diversity and flexibility in the workplace recognising that individuals all have different needs and those needs change over time and family/personal factors impact on work and productivity. Be proactive in creating flexible workplaces. Review your current employees profile and existing work arrangements. Consider current and future service requirements and assess potential future workforce needs. Manage resistance and negative attitudes from colleagues regarding flexible work practices of their coworkers. Discourage work practices or unwritten policies that do not support workplace flexibility. Actively reduce excessive workloads, long working hours and overtime. Encourage employees and other managers to focus on outcomes as opposed to hours at work. Value all staff equally regardless of employment status eg part-time employees have equal access to training and career development opportunities, performance development etc. Communication and access to information Educate and inform staff of policies and practices relating to work life balance and flexible work options. Provide employees with access to information about services, support and resources pertaining to work life balance. Empower employees and make them aware of their rights and responsibilities for achieving work life balance. Provide staff access to flexible work practices Provide employees with the opportunity to access flexible work practices. Ensure equal access and fair treatment of all employees in relation to work life balance initiatives. Involve staff in the decision making process, especially in relation to introducing flexible work practices. Fully consider all requests for flexible work practices, and ensure decisions are fair, transparent and capable of review. Flexible Work Practices - Assessment 5

6 Implementation of flexible work practices Identify employee needs work together with employees to identify their needs: - Discuss with employees what alternative work arrangements could assist them balance work and life needs. - Survey staff to identify their needs. - Conduct focus groups / forums to openly discuss work life balance needs. Review work schedules and rosters (if necessary) in collaboration with staff, to determine if more suitable arrangements can be made to enable staff to better balance work and life. Be willing to trial or pilot new initiatives to establish more flexible working arrangements. Implement suitable and practical flexible work and leave arrangements that will assist employees achieve better work life balance. Incorporate work life balance into all human resource practices During periods of organisational change and restructuring, be mindful of employee s needs and encourage communication between managers and staff to endeavour to meet employee s needs. Survey exiting employees to determine if work life balance issues are a contributing factor to the employee leaving. Use the information collected to actively improve working arrangements for new or existing employees, and reduce staff turnover. Be cognisant of work life balance in day-to-day management of staff e.g. be mindful of employee s needs and circumstances when arranging meetings, overtime, staff travel for business purposes and work social events. Analyse tasks and jobs in view of suitability for flexible work arrangements. Explore ways in which jobs can be done under more flexible work arrangements. Include availability of flexible work options when advertising positions to encourage a broader, more diverse field of applicants. Flexible Work Practices - Assessment 6

7 Assessing requests for flexible work practices Use this checklist to help you appropriately assess and implement employee s requests for flexible work practices. This checklist should be read in conjunction with an agency s policy. Details of request Request received - Has the request been submitted in writing? - Is the request clear and comprehensive, does it provide sufficient information to enable the manager to make a fair decision? Duration - Is this a permanent or temporary arrangement? - What is the proposed start and end date (if applicable)? Trial period - Will there be a trial period? How long will the trial be for? - How will the trial be assessed? What criteria will be used to assess if the trial is successful? Schedule and continuity - What is the proposed work schedule? How do the proposed hours reflect the peak activity and demands in your work area? How will work continuity be maintained? Flexibility - What flexibility does the employee have to alter their work arrangement on an ad hoc basis to cover peak periods, attendance at meetings, training courses etc. for example, changes to hours or days of work? Employee s responsibilities - It is the employee s responsibility to consider the impact of the flexible work practice on their pay, taxation, superannuation, leave provisions and other entitlements. Do you know if the employee has made enquiries in these areas? Assessment of request Confidentiality - Maintain confidentiality, particularly in relation to employee s personal circumstances. Where discussion with others is required in order to assess or review a request, ensure only relevant details are disclosed and discussion is restricted to relevant parties only. Individual s needs Employee s skills and suitability Position suitability Supervisory responsibilities - Consider individual employee s circumstances and reasons for their request. Are their needs likely to change over time? Does the arrangement provide sufficient flexibility to alter if the employee s needs change in the near future? - Does the proposal address individual strengths and weaknesses of the employee? Consider employee s skills and ability to manage their work role while undertaking a flexible work arrangement. Is specific training or development required to address skill shortages, for example, time management skills may need to be developed when an employee reduces their hours of work. - Is the nature of the work/role conducive to a flexible work arrangement? What are the issues and how will these be managed? - For positions with supervisory responsibilities, consider strategies for ensuring adequate supervision levels are maintained. Agency needs - Consider the affect the employee s request will have on the agency. 1. Is the request in line with agency direction? 2. Does the request contribute to the implementation of operational/work Flexible Work Practices - Assessment 7

8 Operational requirements Impact on coworkers Employment conditions Policy requirements Identify the benefits Identify the disadvantages plans? 3. How will the request affect staffing requirements? 4. Is the flexible work arrangement responsive to changing needs of the agency? - Consider operational requirements: 1. The availability of suitable leave cover if required. 2. The cost implications. 3. The impact on client service requirements. - How will the new arrangement impact the job role, workload and morale of other employees? How will this be managed? - What are the concerns, objections or barriers? How can these be addressed? - Does the employee s award/agreement contain conditions pertaining to their request? Ensure the request meets the requirements contained within their Award and/or Agreement. - Ensure you are familiar with the agency s Work Life Balance Policy and its principles are being upheld? - Refer to any agency policy / guidelines that apply to this request, for example other policies such as Telecommuting. Have you and the employee both read the applicable policy and understand the requirements. Is the employee s request in line with policy requirements? - Identify benefits to the employee, work group and organisation associated with this flexible work practice. - Identify disadvantages arising out of the flexible work practice. Weigh up the advantages and disadvantages. Decision making process Case by case - Assess requests on a case-by-case basis. Also consider other flexible work arrangements currently in place and how these will interact with one-another (if applicable) and potential flow-on. Do not deny requests based on the possibility of potential flow-ons but be conscious of the impact this may have on other employees. Decision making - Have you involved the employee and other affected parties in your decision making process? - Have you spoken with human resources or other relevant experts to assist in making a decision? - Have you fully and properly considered the request, in a timely manner? (Do not unnecessarily delay assessment of the request, as this is potentially unfair to the employee). - Is your decision making process fair, transparent and capable of review? - Have you documented your decision and factors considered in making your decision? Are you able to justify the reasons for your decision? - Have you advised the employee of the outcome of their request, both verbally and in writing and included a full explanation for your decision? Negotiation - Where an original request may not be appropriate, negotiate with the employee alternative arrangements that will suit the needs of all parties Flexible Work Practices - Assessment 8

9 involved. Right of review - Where requests for flexible work arrangements are denied, the employee should be made aware of any other procedures available to them in order to review the decision. Documentation Documentation - Prepare a suitable agreement to document the conditions associated with the flexible work arrangement agreed between the parties involved. The agreement may address the following issues: 1. Parties to the agreement 2. Duration (including start and end date, and trial period) 3. Days/hours of work and rostering details 4. Communication arrangements (including communication with coworkers, supervisor, job share partner if applicable, out-of-hours contact etc) 5. Changes to job role, duties or functions undertaken 6. Any requirements relating to supervisory responsibilities 7. Any issues related to operational requirements including dealings with clients 8. Requirements in relation to taking leave e.g. job share partners are often asked to cover each others periods of leave and therefore cannot take leave at the same time 9. Assessment and review arrangements and criteria (refer to section on review for further details) 10. Future of the flexible work arrangement process for either party to alter the terms of the arrangement, discontinue the arrangement, extend the trial or temporary arrangement for a further period or confirm permanent arrangements 11. Process for managing concerns related to the flexible work arrangement Implementation Notification - Notify human resources and other relevant parties, including co-workers and regular clients about the change in working arrangements - Ensure documentation is filed appropriately i.e. on an employee s personal file Best practice examples - Identify other flexible work arrangements that have been successful and achieved positive outcomes, use these examples as a guide for implementing this arrangement Assess risks - Address any potential risks involved in implementing the flexible work practice, for the employee, co-workers and clients - Review occupational health and safety requirements to ensure safe working conditions? For example, a safety inspection of an employee s home may be a requirement in order to establish telecommuting? Job Redesign - Jobs may need to be redesigned and duties re-assessed to ensure they are suitable and achievable under the new flexible work arrangement. Where this occurs, job description forms or position statements may need to be amended accordingly Flexible Work Practices - Assessment 9

10 - Check workload is appropriate to the new hours of work Supervision - Consider supervision requirements for the employee, particularly if they are working from home Equipment/ technology Timing of meetings and other events Performance development Impact on coworkers Communication strategies - Is any additional equipment, furniture or space required to make the arrangement possible? For example, laptop or computer / modem for telecommuting - Can technology enhance the effectiveness of flexible work arrangements? For example, use of mobile phones, computer networking, internet and access at home, teleconferencing into meetings from home etc. - Can regular events, such as staff meetings be scheduled to maximise staff attendance? - Ensure part-time employees are able to attend other events, such as, training, planning days, social events? - Ensure employees on flexible work arrangements have equal access to training and career development opportunities and performance development processes. Consider how work arrangements impact on the employee s ability to achieve the outcomes of their role. - Discuss the new arrangement with co-workers. Address any concerns they may have and develop strategies to ensure other staff are not disadvantaged from this arrangement. Manage resistance and negative attitudes from co-workers that may affect the success of the arrangement - Ensure workloads are managed and co-workers are not picking up additional work that they cannot manage - Are communication processes sufficient to ensure a smooth flow of information between employees, co-workers, managers and clients? - Put strategies in place to ensure effective communication with employees to keep them informed of any changes or important issues arising when they are not present - Will the employee be contactable outside of their normal working hours? How will this be managed? Problem solving - Encourage all staff to raise queries or concerns regarding flexible work arrangements as they arise and effectively deal with these issues without delay - Ensure staff are aware of any formal procedures available to them if they feel disadvantaged because of another employee s flexible work arrangement Review Review procedures - Consider how the arrangement will be reviewed on an ongoing /periodic basis. When and how will the arrangement be measured? Set time frames for review. - Arrangements may be fine tuned over their lifetime to ensure they adapt to changing circumstances Establish criteria - The flexible work arrangement agreement should include criteria to assess the outcome of the arrangement against, such as: 1. Impact of the arrangement on clients, co-workers and team 2. Impact of the arrangement on the positions effectiveness and job outcomes Flexible Work Practices - Assessment 10

11 3. Impact on supervisory responsibilities 4. The effectiveness of the individuals ability to contribute to the work of the team 5. The individual s performance Assessment - Assess the outcome of the trial or temporary arrangement against the agreed criteria Discussion - Discuss the arrangement with the employee, co-workers and regular clients (where applicable) to help assess its outcome Impact of flexible work arrangements Modifications to arrangements - Consider what impact the flexible work arrangement had on: 1. Attraction and retention of staff 2. Budget 3. Diversity of the workforce 4. Staff morale 5. Staff performance and productivity 6. Employee health and well-being (reduction in absenteeism) 7. Employee s ability to balance their work and life - What problems or issues have been raised throughout the duration of the arrangement? How have these been rectified? - What further changes can be made to improve the arrangement for any of the parties involved or affected by the arrangement? Support - How can arrangements be better supported? Outcome of the review On-going communication - Following full evaluation and assessment, the future of the flexible work arrangement should be discussed between the parties involved and prior to the expiry of the trial or temporary arrangement a decision made to: 1. Discontinue the arrangement 2. Undertake a further trial period 3. Extend a temporary arrangement or 4. Confirm the arrangement on a permanent basis - Parties to the flexible work arrangement agreement must be notified (verbally and in writing) of the outcome and given a clear explanation and reasons for the outcome - All parties should be given an opportunity to raise any questions or concerns and have these addressed - Are there opportunities for all staff to express views about balancing work and life? Flexible Work Practices - Assessment 11