WGEA's flexible work checklist is for human resource teams, executive leaders and people managers and highlights actions to support flexible work arrangements.
Employers can support and maintain a quality flexible working environment by ensuring:
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Access to flexible work
All employees – regardless of gender, age, caring responsibilities, tenure, seniority or role – should have access to flexible work arrangements, either formally or informally.
Job and work redesign can be used to adapt jobs to be done flexibly, and flexible work options should be offered explicitly in job advertisements.
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Enabling flexible work
Employees who work flexibly should be treated equitably in terms of access to valued work, development opportunities and career progression.
Employees should be provided with collaboration tools and technology, resources and equipment to help them work flexibly.
Performance expectations and metrics should be adjusted to account for flexible work, and employees should be assessed on outcomes rather than workplace attendance.
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Leadership and management
Leaders should establish and endorse the business case for flexibility, and should champion and normalise flexible work through role-modelling flexible working, encouraging others to work flexibly and celebrating it publicly.
Managers should ensure that their team is aware of the flexible work options available and work with them on the design of flexible work arrangements that suit employee, team and business needs.
Managers should understand the awards, agreements, contractual obligations and policies that apply to their team, and before rejecting a request consider the consequences and try and reach an agreement or find an alternative arrangement.
Managers promote inclusive workplace practices, such as the opportunity for remote meetings, training and communications.
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Employee and team responsibilities
Teams should collaborate to ensure their flexible work practices meet individual, team and organisational requirements.
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Monitoring and evaluation of flexible work
The take up of flexible work and the impact on different genders should be measured and evaluated, and reported to executive leaders and governing bodies.
Organisations should consider targets around flexible work, such as to increase overall engagement in flexible work and increase men’s engagement in flexible work.
Employees should be surveyed on whether they have sufficient flexibility and feel supported to access it, as well as their perception of any negative consequences to their career by working flexibly.