THE RISE OF FLEXIBLE WORKING IN EMPLOYMENT

by Laura Evans Glass Ceilings Change Management

Glass Ceilings Change Management’s purpose is influencing change for worklife inclusion. We recognise that life happens. It is important for people to feel supported and have flexibility to juggle life’s competing demands alongside employment, whatever role or profession, or workplace type they are in, in a way that does not affect their wellbeing or progressing in their careers.

There has been a fundamental shift in how and where people work over the past decade, accelerated since the outbreak of the Covid pandemic five years ago. The number of people unable to work full time continues to rise in a difficult economic and jobs market. As an expert panel discussed movingly in Glass Ceilings’ special webinar in March, the number of people with caring responsibilities in the UK, including child carers, has also risen sharply since the start of the pandemic, largely due to a huge increase in long term sickness and disability. All of which has led to increasing numbers of people struggling with their own health and wellbeing. In turn, it has contributed to large numbers of people leaving the workplace altogether because they are unable to find flexible working patterns, which has wider societal and economic impacts.

Employers who ignore these realities will find it difficult to retain good people, ultimately affecting productivity and profits. We have seen this reflected in increasing requests for policy and employment relations advice over the last few years, and there are increasing cases in the Employment Tribunals system. To help businesses address these challenges, we’ve introduced the Glass Ceilings WorkLife Inclusion Policy Framework®, a set of employment policies across the entire employment lifecycle, tailored to the specific needs and size of the organisation, workplace type, profession or industry. As well as supporting compliance where needed, it includes a number of policies for worklife inclusion, including special leave for life circumstances; equal paid maternity and paternity leave; and, inclusive approaches to workplace procedures and change programmes.

Feedback from our clients on policy and advisory services around carers in the workplace is always positive, which is something we are really proud of.

Please visit www.glassceilings.co.uk for more information or email info@glassceilings.co.uk