Guide to flexible working Guide to flexible working
Here are some guidelines to flexible working whether you're an employer or employee.
Steps to flexible working
For the modern business, flexible working poses no technological hurdles, but rather a cultural one.
Remember that employees have a legal right to request a change to their working arrangements under part 6AA of the Employment Relations Act 2000. Being prepared now can help you have these conversations.
1 - Trust
The key to successful flexible working arrangements is to facilitate trust between employers and employees and to have performance metrics based on outcomes and results.
| What employers can do | What employees can do |
| Establish trust by having open conversations with your employees about what they want, and your expectations. | Earn your employer's trust by proving your ability to work independently and manage your workflows. |
2 -Talk about what works for you
| What employers can do | What employees can do |
| Listen to employees and establish a flexible working policy that works for the organisation. Speak about what cultural, performance measure or management styles need to be addressed to enable a flexible workplace. |
Think about what parts of your workflow could be flexible:
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3 - Communicate openly and frequently
| What employers can do | What employees can do |
| Communicate how you'll assess employees' output and how the arrangements are working. Speak to employees early when things are not working and be sure your expectations are clear. |
If something's not working, speak up. It's important to remember that your manager's role is to support you. Regularly check-in and make sure you're sharing feedback. |
4 - Be flexible
| What employers can do | What employees can do |
| Some policies or arrangements might not work for you. Make sure you're not prematurely locking in policies or expectations that aren't achievable. Highlight problems soon and work with employees to resolve them. |
Your arrangements might have to change or may not be working. Don't feel stuck to your new way of working if it doesn’t work for you. Be open with your employers about how to improve your working situation. |
Resources
- Champions for Change website - has some amazing resources for flexible working.
- Balancing work and life - flexible work explained (PDF 1.2MB, 16 pages) - a publication by BusinessNZ.
- Perpetual Guardian - The 4 Day Week book.
- Read case studies and tips from businesses that adopted flexible working.
Contact our Travelwise Choices team
By successfully implementing flexible working arrangements, you'll be joining the majority of businesses and employees already realising the personal and work-related benefits of flexible working. Learn more about flexible working case studies.
If you would like to find out more about flexible working and how it could work for your organisation, contact our Travelwise Choices team.