Australia: Does ‘flexible work’ really work?

Many employees with parental and carer responsibilities now have a legal right to request flexible work. Increasingly, men and women returning from parental leave are requesting flexible work arrangements. And we are seeing employers agree to these requests in larger numbers than ever before.

Most businesses now accept that promoting diversity and flexibility can, in theory, lead to better business outcomes; but are these flexible work arrangements actually working in practice?

Are employers getting the most out of their flexible workers? And are workers happy with their flexible work arrangements? And what impact is this having on their careers?

In our experience, the reality of flexible work is often far less satisfying and effective than employees and employers hope for. In some cases, flexible work just doesn’t work.

Too often, we see employees request flexibility and employers agree to it - but nobody happy about how it actually works in practice.

Managers express frustration at how flexible workers impact on their work load and their ability to meet business and team needs. Employees report feeling like ‘second class’ workers and say that their career opportunities and quality of work decline after they start working flexibly.

A recent survey of Victorian women lawyers revealed that, of those who had made requests for flexible work, 95% had their requests approved in full or part¹. But, of the 95% of women who were granted flexible work arrangements:

• 25% said that the arrangement had a negative effect on their chances of promotion and career opportunities; and
• 18% said that the quality of work they were given declined, once they started working flexibly.²

This experience is not unique to the legal profession. In our dealings with clients, we see employers and employees facing the same difficulties and frustrations across all industries.

Recent research conducted by Deloitte Australia, in partnership with the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission³, suggests that offering flexibility/diversity alone is not enough. To get the best business outcomes, employers also need to focus on ‘inclusion’ - that is, taking steps to ensure that employees feel that they are treated fairly and with respect and are valued in the workplace.

But how do you build an inclusive workplace? And how can you manage your employees’ transitions back to work, and into flexible work, effectively? How can you optimise the flexible work experience and make it rewarding and sustainable for your business and your employees?

If you are a manager or human resources practitioner, interested in hearing more about managing the transition to flexible work and making ‘flexible work’ work in your organisation, please click here to register your interest to attend our Client Forum on Managing the transition to flexible work to be held on 7 May 2013.

The Forum will be led by Trish Low, a Senior Associate in our Melbourne Employment Law group and lead member of our Diversity practice, and Lisa Lurie, Director and Principal Consultant of Exec Ascend, a Leadership and Transition Coach, who specialises in working with women in key transition points and in particular the maternity transition, to ensure smooth transition, high engagement and flexible work.

Trish and Lisa bring two unique perspectives to this topic. They will share their expertise and facilitate group discussion about the challenges of managing flexible work and the practical steps employers can take to overcome them. Participants will be encouraged to share their experiences of managing flexible workers, in a supportive and confidential environment, so they can benefit from shared thinking on this challenging issue. We hope you can join us.

This article was written by Patricia Low, Senior Associate, Herbert Smith Freehills and Lisa Lurie, founder and lead coach of Exec Ascend.

Endnotes

1. Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission, Changing the rules: The experiences of female lawyers in Victoria, Victoria, December 2012, p33-35.
2. Ibid, 36-37.
3. Waiter, is that inclusion in my soup – A new recipe to improve business performance’, November 2012,  available here. 

More information

For information regarding possible implications for your business, contact Kate Jenkins.