Flexibility

Some of the challenges colleagues faced were around understanding of who could / couldn’t work flexibly and how working flexibly is more than working from home.

• The understanding that depending on your role, what was available for flexible working varied dramatically.
• Recruitment practices that promote flexible working for new starters were sometimes hard to uphold for existing staff.
• More support was needed for managers and individuals to understand how flexible working could be applied in departments and the benefits.

There was a lot of discussion around how good communication enabled positive flexible working. 

• Utilising a range of communication tools including email and MS teams to set priorities in the team was really helpful. 
• Having clear expectations on what the parameters are when working from home. 
• Regular check ins with staff working from home or on another site is really important to feel included and valued.
• Remembering listening is part of communicating well.

Depending on experience and opportunity there were contrasting views around the advantages and disadvantages of flexible working, especially working from home. 

• Colleagues can feel isolated when working from home and not involved in decision making.
• Manager are finding it hard to maintain all flexible working patterns with high levels of staff sickness and make changes at short notice which can be frustrating. 
• The expectation feels like you should be available every minute when working at home. 
• Some colleagues had felt resentment about being able to work from home or conversely having to work from home.

• There was an awareness of the sustainability responsibility to reduce the number of staff travelling onsite particularly by car. 
• It was noted it felt like there is a lack of equipment such as laptops and this does not facilitate flexible working.
• There is significant difficulty parking on site particularly when starting later.
• If you do not regularly work on site then it is not clear where there are hot desking spaces available.

• Start a trust wide coffee break virtually for anyone to join to talk to someone and feel connected - coming soon. 

• We will be sharing success stories of how flexible working works well in different areas in the manager’s bulletin. Please get in touch at organisationaldevelopment@hhft.nhs.uk if you would like your area to be celebrated.  

• Flexible working toolkits are available here on Trustnet and can support flexible working conversations for individuals and line managers, please reach out to your HR team if you need support. 

• Highlighting where there are hot desking areas and how to access / book them - coming soon. 

If you are working flexibly we would encourage you to signpost your working hours / location / availability in your email signature. Ideas of how to do this are below.

• I don’t expect to you respond to my email outside your working hours.
• I will sometimes send emails out of core hours; I do not expect others to do so.
• I work flexibly and may send some emails outside of normal working hours.
• I am sending this message at a time that suits me. Please feel comfortable knowing that I don’t expect you to read, respond to or action it outside of your regular working hours.
• I sometimes work at irregular times, so if this email arrives in the evening / at the weekend, please do not feel obliged to respond until your normal working hours.
• I work in an agile manner and emailing you now suits me. I respect your choice of when and how you work and I don’t expect a response outside of your working hours.
• I don’t expect you to respond to my email outside your working hours.