Flexible working in a challenging climate

With companies cutting costs to survive the economic downturn, managing director of the Micross Group, Gavin Morgan, considers the use of flexible working in light of new legislation.

On 6 April, legislation extending employees' right to request flexible working will come into force. The changes will extend the right to ask for flexible working conditions to parents with children under the age of 16. This could mean the right to work flexibly being extended to an additional 4.5 million workers, so having a flexible working policy will be critical for businesses if a significant number of those potentially eligible take up the legal right.

But with the current turbulence within the economy, can flexible working succeed for Wales’ SMEs. The business case for flexible working arrangements is extensive: retention of staff, recruitment, increased loyalty and commitment, high performance and reduced absenteeism.

But for SMEs, while some thrive on flexible working, others see it as an impediment to business success. It is sometimes beneficial to view it in a different light. Working from home solves a number of problems including the issue of attracting niche skills or individuals whose experience is in short supply - someone based elsewhere is more likely to accept and stay in a role where they are only expected to be in the office three days a week. Also having team members who are at their most productive either in the mornings or evenings can offer a valuable element of consistency to a smaller business giving the perception of size and weight.

In addition, when employees are able to tailor their working hours around life and family commitments, that elusive ‘it’s a good place to work’ mantra begins to hold true, meaning it’s easier to attract the best talent, retain loyal staff, and move the business forward.

However, not only having a robust flexible working policy will suffice to withstand this new legislation; businesses need to ensure that the correct technology is also in place. There is no doubt that the technology is available for a wide variety of roles to work from home, but questions about the performance of home network infrastructure need to be asked sooner rather than later.

Businesses that are going to cater for flexible working need to ensure that a standard residential broadband connection can be relied on to give businesses the surety of access and performance needed. Access to back-office system data and applications also requires secure connectivity for the home worker, usually involving virtual private networks.

While home working may not bring the network down, increased reliance and dependence on the network may cause problems. So why is remote working proving to be utilised only amongst the few? Admittedly there are some hoops to jump through getting home workers set up; the initial outlay of equipment, the need to safeguard against IT security problems, and health and safety factors can be a concern. However surely these are short term issues, easily resolved for a long term gain.

Here at Micross, flexible working has succeeded because it’s all about trust and having the right people in place. If you have performance or timekeeping issues then it is because the employee has not bought into the role or the company. Keeping them in the office from 9-5 only means this discontent will manifest itself in other ways. Yes there are logistical challenges, but if you’ve got the right people then the benefits far outweigh these.

One example is that absenteeism in Micross is almost non-existent; if people can choose to work flexibly if the boiler breaks, or their child is ill, the impact on the business is minimal.

Our philosophy is to absolutely ensure we have the right people, whether it’s our customer-facing support team or our recruitment experts, it all starts with the people you have in house.

The Micross Group consists of Micross IT, Micross Systems, Micross Recruitment and Micross Creative. For more information visit www.micross-it.co.uk or call 02920 433 585.

For further information on this press release, please contact freshbaked PR and ask to speak to a PR consultant. freshbaked PR is a full service public relations company based in Cardiff which represents a number of public sector and private business and charity clients in Cardiff, Swansea and Bristol, as well as Newport in south Wales, home of golf’s 2010 Ryder Cup at the Celtic Manor Resort Hotel.

Our sister company Limegreentangerine augments our offering with the provision of graphic design, website design, advertising, branding and corporate communication solutions using printed and digital media. We work with this leading graphic design agency on Google search engine optimisation projects to make sure our clients achieve the SEO results they need using natural search keyword strategies, and targeted pay per click campaigns.

We will soon be launching a new service for our clients in the Cardiff & south Wales region and the Bristol & South West region for businesses looking to maximise their coverage in Wales from PR and marketing in association with the London 2012 Olympics. Please contact our public relations Cardiff office for more information on PR campaigns.

freshbaked PR provides public relations consultancy for fast growing companies in Cardiff, Swansea, Newport, Bristol along the M4 corridor of England and south Wales.

For clients based in Cardiff public relations agency services are provided from our public relations department in The Maltings office near Cardiff Bay and Cardiff city centre. Newport public relations agency services and Bristol PR agency offerings can be delivered on site for the client if required. Please contact us to find out more about our Bristol public relations agency and Newport PR agency offerings.

The public relations potential of the 2010 Ryder Cup in Newport, and the 2012 London Olympics will add value to the work of partner company Total Sport Management, which specialises in the public speaking and personal appearance bookings for celebrity Welsh rugby players from teams including Newport Gwent Dragons, Cardiff Blues, Neath Swansea Ospreys and Llanelli Scarlets.

freshbaked Public Relations can provide the full public relations support required to maximise the appearance of a Welsh rugby player at your corporate hospitality, or in advertising, PR or marketing campaigns.