How to successfully implement flexible working

Flexible working is no longer just a ‘perk’ of the job (even though it is a statutory right to ask for it). For many employees, it’s a ‘must have’, and for business owners/employers, it’s a great tool for attracting top candidates for positions as well as retaining employees and boosting productivity.

There are many different types of flexible working:

• part-time hours

• staggered hours

• remote working

• working from home

• hybrid working

• Flexitime

• compressed hours.

So, whilst the law says employers must consider flexible working requests, you may want to consider flexible working being part of your company’s culture (because you choose to and not because the law says you must). 

In order to successfully implement flexible working in your company, you need to have clear structure, communication, and accountability. 

As HR advisors, we’re experts in assisting businesses when it comes to implementing new policies, so we’ve put together some tips on successfully introducing flexible working in a way that works for both you and your employees.

Ask yourself ‘how?’ and ‘why?’

There should be a clear business need for introducing flexible working, so ask yourself, why do you need to introduce it? For example, if you can’t offer higher salaries, would flexible working attract the right type of talent you need? What problem are you trying to solve? For example, are people leaving because you don’t allow hybrid working?

How will flexible working support productivity, engagement, or retention and which roles can genuinely be flexible, and in what ways? Just because ‘this role’ has always been office-based, doesn’t mean it has to be. Give constructive critique on your previous thinkings of why!

Define what ‘flexible working’ means

Have a clear flexible working policy that is easily accessible by employees. When an employee requests flexible working, give it meaningful consideration – don’t just reject it because ‘we’ve never done that before’. In our experience, this response has led to so many grievances being raised and that requires more resources to handle the grievance.

Set clear expectations and boundaries

If you agree to flexible working, it is important you hold up your end of the bargain, e.g. if you have agreed to reduce their working hours, you need to lessen the workload.

In order to avoid an ‘always on’ culture, some boundaries and expectations need to be set. You should:

• Clarify working hours and response time expectations

• Support employees to switch off fully outside of working hours

This will help reduce burnout and ensure flexible working remains sustainable.

Communicate, review and adapt

Flexible working is a constantly evolving arrangement, so you should regularly gather feedback from employees and managers to ensure it’s still working well for everyone. Review productivity, engagement and absence data and adjust your policies where needed.

In our experience, it is always best to agree a trial period of 6 months when agreeing any flexible working request. This allows the business to assess if it is working for you and if not, agree on how it can be tweaked.

Lead by example

When line managers and senior staff lead by example and use flexible working themselves, it sends a message to employees and supports it in becoming part of workplace culture. Employees are more likely to trust flexible working arrangements when they see those in senior roles embracing them too.

Implemented well, flexible working can be a win-win for everyone. As experts, we can help you strike a good balance and ensure flexibility is fair and compliant. Get in touch if this is something you’re keen to implement in your organisation.

Many of you will have seen the news in December that the Employment Rights Bill received Royal Assent and is now officially the Employment Rights Act 2025. This Act is set to give the biggest shake up in employment law in decades and all employers, regardless of size, will need to make changes.

If you need support navigating your way through what this legislation means and what changes you need to make in your HR policies/procedures, please do get in touch as we would love to help.