Reviewing flexible working arrangements key to success - HR expert

A firm of HR specialists says businesses should review their flexible working policies to ensure they are still fit for purpose.

Flexible working has become a critical part of many workplaces over the past few years.

Although it has become an established part of many roles, HR Caddy says that employers must continue to evaluate working arrangements to make sure they remain suitable.

The HR specialists say many firms jumped to flexible working in response to the pandemic and have continued without reviewing whether their policies and support are suited to their needs.

While flexible and hybrid working remain a popular incentive to retain and recruit employees, it must also make commercial sense for the companies that employ this approach.

Nicola Callaghan (pictured), managing director at HR Caddy, said: “The move to home working and flexibility was born out of necessity, and we are still, to some degree, in a testing stage.

“Everyday employers face new challenges and complications created by flexible working approaches and they don 't always have immediate solutions due to a general inexperience about this new approach to work. ”

Nicola says employers should regularly review their working arrangements, including engagement with different members of staff, to ensure this approach to work continues to benefit the organisation and employees.

“We understand that some employers have concerns about withdrawing flexible working options from certain employees or teams as they fear disputes or claims of discrimination from their staff, but the reality is that if the business isn 't functioning properly these issues need to be addressed now, ” she added.

HR Caddy said that businesses should be careful not to trade off certain benefits against others in pursuit of greater turnover or profits.

Nicola said: “Having spoken with many employers over the last few years, we can clearly see that many businesses out there are facing a real struggle to set pragmatic policies and practices when it comes to supporting flexibility, so it never hurts to get a second opinion if a change in policy or approach is needed. ”