What are flexible work practices?
The term ‘flexible work practices' covers all the innovative ways employers and employees can agree to structure work to accommodate business and individual needs.
This part of the guide provides:
- a range of flexible working arrangements that can be introduced by employers of mature age workers; and
- tips for their implementation and management.
Example clauses have also been included with each arrangement to give you an idea of how you can incorporate these practices into agreements.
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What are the benefits of flexible working practices?
- More skilled and motivated staff, including mature age workers who are attracted to organisations with flexible working policies.
- Higher staff retention, with a more energetic, committed, happy and focused workforce.
- The ability to attract staff that might have otherwise been unable to work.
- Savings on recruitment and retraining costs.
- Reduced absenteeism and stress as flexibility helps employees meet their outside commitments more easily.
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How to implement flexible work practices
Implementing flexible work practices is not difficult, nor does it have to be expensive or involve change to current practice. In fact, introducing flexible working practices may even save you money in recruitment costs.
Implementing flexible work practices may however require some planning to canvass the options available to you and to assess the needs of your business and your employees.
Read more: How to implement flexible work practices
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Phased retirement
Phased retirement is a way to ensure staff to gradually move into retirement whilst also retaining their valuable corporate knowledge by reducing their hours and/or level of responsibility rather than making an abrupt departure on retiring from their organisation.
Read more: Phased retirement
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Part-time work
Offering your workers the option of part-time employment is an easy way of providing flexibility in order for them to balance personal responsibilities with work.
Read more: Part-time work
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Job-sharing
Job-sharing offers the flexibility for two part-time workers to fill one full-time position. Job sharing can be tailored to suit the needs of the organisation, the job sharers and the nature of the job.
Read more: Job-sharing
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Working from home
Working from home (on a full-time or part-time basis) allows workers the flexibility to combine personal responsibilities, including caring and parenting duties, with work.
Read more: Working from home
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Flexible working hours
The term flexible working hours refers to flexibilities you can incorporate into you business, including flexible start and finishing times, introducing an hours bank or setting start and finishing times to suit the seasons.
Read more: Flexible working hours
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Flexible leave options
There are a range of flexible leave options that your organisation could consider as a way to recruit and retain experienced workers. Flexible leave options include purchased annual leave, volunteering leave and sabbaticals.
Read more: Flexible leave options
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Contracting
To maximise the benefits of your mature age workers you may wish to consider contracting mature age workers to perform specialised tasks or fill in on a non-ongoing basis.
Read more: Contracting
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Creating a flexible work practices policy
Creating a flexible work practices policy is a way to formalise the flexible work practices you can offer your staff.
Read more: Creating a flexible work practices policy
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Further resources
Case Studies