Everything You Should Know About Flexible Working

Flexible working is described by the UK government as, ‘a way of working that suits an employee’s needs’, and in today’s ever-evolving professional landscape, this concept has been transformative for many workers. The rigid confines of the traditional 9-to-5 workday has been replaced by flexible working arrangements that are more suitable for specific employees. Not only does this empower employees, but it also boosts productivity and improves work-life balance. Flexible working has proved to be beneficial for both employers and employees, and more and more businesses now offer flexible working options in the workplace. Here is a guide to everything you should know about flexible working.

Different Forms of Flexible Working

Flexible work arrangements are designed with the employee in mind. Main aspects of this type of arrangement includes flexibility in the time and place an employee can perform work duties. Here are a few different types of flexible work arrangements.

• Working from Home – a working from home (WFH) arrangement has become more common since the coronavirus pandemic. This type of flexible work allows employees to perform their work duties outside of the office. Although it is called working from home, employees can choose to work from other places, such as a coffee shop.
• Part-Time Work – this flexible work arrangement refers to the contract between a business and its employee that stipulates they work less than the standard, full-time hours.
• Teleworking – teleworking is also referred to ask mobile working and general remote work. People with a teleworking contract can work from anywhere they desire.
• Compressed Hours – this type of arrangement is when an employee, with a full-time contract, works for fewer days in longer blocks of time.
• Annualised Hours – workers with annualised hours are required to work a set number of hours per year. This form of flexible work provides flexibility to workers in terms of their work patterns.
• Job Sharing – job sharing is when two or more part-time workers share one job role by splitting the hours between them.
  

The Flexible Workers Workplace

Flexible work arrangements can take place in many different settings, such as at home or in the work office of the employer. The Workstation offer different types of office spaces across the country. They also offer virtual office services for those without a physical work address. You can find out more information about their services on their website, theworkstation.co.uk. People with a regular flexible work arrangement who do not have to work at the employer’s workplace can choose to perform their duties in a flexible co-working space. Co-working solutions include hot desking and renting private office space within a co-working space.

Who Can Apply for Flexible Work?

Everyone can apply for flexible work, so long as the company offers it. If you want to ask for a flexible work arrangement from an existing employer, you will have to make a statutory, or non-statutory, request. Ultimately, your company decides to grant your request. If you feel as though the rejection is discriminatory, you can pursue the matter further.