What flexibility in the workplace really needs to look like: a parent’s perspective

Today started like any other day: unlike any other day. No two days are the same in our house, yet we are what most would refer to as a ‘routine’ family.

Before 9am I had counselled an emotional teenager, refereed a fight between siblings, done a load of washing, folded another, booked parent teacher interviews, searched for and found a mouthguard, sent my eldest to school with a somewhat nutritious lunch, and managed to make myself look half presentable for an online meeting (you might be familiar with the look: tracksuit pants, work top and makeup done).

Grateful travel time was less than 10 seconds to the study, I was logged into my first meeting by 9.30am, having given up on the battle with our youngest who remained curled up in bed, crying after a heightened state of anxiety over said mouthguard and refusing to go school for the third time this week.

And that was just my morning. By mid morning I’d learned that the morning of my colleagues was not dissimilar, just as disruptive and equally distressing. Sick children home from daycare, curriculum day, deadlines changing at 7am and elderly parents requiring care – our stories were all differing variations of the juggle, but all creating their own level of difficulty before our work day had even started.

But we all showed up.

Amid all the drama, added responsibilities and madness, we showed up, lifted each other up and got on with it – made possible by the way we work (thanks boss).

Knowing that over three million other Australian families have spent this week trying to juggle the demands of home and dependent children with the demands of work (and perhaps many of them without the same flexibility I enjoy) says it all: parents are integral to improving the nation’s productivity (while keeping up with the laundry) and are invaluable employees to have on your team. We are, quite simply, masters at getting things done!

When companies support working parents, everyone’s a winner. By providing access to formal workplace flexibility arrangements (as opposed to informal strategies) to help manage work and family life, companies can not only attract better talent and open a wider pool of candidates, but also reduce attrition rates and improve productivity – simply by boosting parents’ wellbeing.  Paid parental leave and progressive family-friendly benefits are just the foundation to ensuring parents are engaged in the workforce, and a sure way to ensure they feel valued.  But savvy leaders understand that an entire culture that recognises the value in flexibility is required to individualise the work experience and not single out anyone’s requirements as more or less important than those of another; sending a clear message to employees that their personal needs and desires are being heard and considered.

So what does a flexible workplace culture need to look like?

The key is to be flexible and collaborative with hours and location. A hybrid model with set days in the office for example is not flexible. Working from home doesn’t necessarily suit everyone either. Instead, enabling employees to co-design their own personal version of workplace flexibility represents an ongoing commitment to flexible work and see not just working parents, but every employee, thrive at home and the office. For a workplace to be truly flexible, the idea of freedom needs to become more engrained in the company culture. Adapting workdays to fit around lifestyles needs to become the norm and widely accepted across the entire business.

Here’s what to consider to ensure you’re creating a truely flexible workplace culture:

 

  1. Build an environment of mutual trust. You should trust that your employees will manage their time and remain productive, and in turn, employees should know that such requests will not impact on their position or career advancement.
  2. Limit meetings. There’s no use in offering a flexible approach to work if employees are in back-to-back meetings all the time. These meetings will end up dictating their schedule as both work, and personal commitments will have to work around Zoom calls or in-person events. Of course, meetings are an essential part of the working day, but discretion should be used to decide what can be more productively achieved via an email, a quick phone call or using a communication tool like Slack.
  3. Clear communication. From the moment you implement a flexible working policy and whenever you introduce a new team member, there should be an open dialogue surrounding the culture in your workplace. Engaging in ongoing conversations with all employees will also help establish an understanding of needs, if these are being met, problematic areas, and managing expectations.
  4. Set clear objectives. Having an outcome-based focus above all else will go a long way in helping employees manage their workload around other commitments.
  5. Train managers and team leaders. Managers need to have a flexible mindset to ensure that teams are treated the same and individual needs are heard. In addition, it is management that employees will come to if they need to discuss additional needs or adapt their working hours, and therefore there needs to be a consistent attitude. This means training managers and ensuring that the flexible elements of your EVP are a staple of your company culture no matter where employees are working.

 

Parents aren’t asking for special circumstances or saying our needs are more important than our colleagues. Nor do we want our sometimes crazy schedules to be used as judgement against our work ethic or capabilities. But having an understanding of the diversity of lifestyles in your team and leading with a commitment to understanding everyone’s needs through flexible workplace practices will have its rewards.

 

Written by Lyndall Taylor, Communications Manager at Working Parents Connect

Working Parents Connect partner with a wide range of family-friendly employers across all industry sectors (including startups, SME’s, charities and large corporates) and offer bespoke recruitment services, job advertising and marketing opportunities to support talent attraction, diversity & inclusion and recruitment strategies.

To find out how we can promote your organisation and connect you with a highly skilled, experienced and often overlooked talent pool, contact our team here.