QUALITY FLEXIBLE WORK

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about quality flexible work

WHAT IS IT?

Quality flexible work can benefit employees and employers, the economy and communities.  It is about people having the opportunity to make changes to the hours they work (over a day, a week or over the year), the times they work or where they work.  It is also about how careers are organised, how transitions in and out of work are managed, and how flexible work is managed in the workplace so that employees and businesses benefit.

Examples of quality flexible work include:

• Varying starting and finishing times
• Annualised hours or term time working
• Part-time working
• Working from home or tele-working
• Job sharing
• Selecting or influencing own rosters or shifts
• Flexible break provisions
• Flexible leave/time off provisions (paid and unpaid)

WHAT ARE THE KEY ISSUES?

There is a skills shortage in New Zealand and it is likely to continue

• Quality flexible work is one way of retaining skilled workers and encouraging people to enter and stay in the labour market.

There is a mismatch between availability and take up of flexible work

• As the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee noted in its interim report, some employers have already introduced flexible working practices, but many employees say that these practices are not sufficiently available to them.

Different approaches are needed for different types of work, types of workers and types of organisations

• There is no one size fits all solution.  For example, small business needs differ from larger businesses.  Solutions for shift workers will be different from, and possibly more limited than, solutions for “9 to 5” staff.  Not all employees need the same type of flexibility and their need for flexibility can change over time. 

WHAT DO WE ALREADY KNOW?

We no longer work a standard 40 hour working week

• 19% of New Zealanders work more than 50 hours per week
• 40% have variable hours of work
• 18% do shift work
• About a quarter work some hours at night

Some people have significant work-life balance conflict

• While many New Zealanders say they have good work-life balance, there is a significant group who have work-life conflict – particularly among those who care for children.

Attitudes of others in the workplace have an impact

• Key factors that make it harder for many employees are the expectations and attitudes of colleagues and workmates.

Flexible start and finish times help

• Employees report that the most helpful initiative is having flexible start and finish times. Employees also indicated preferences for additional leave, both paid and unpaid, more say about how they work, including the ability to change rosters and shifts, and the hours they work.

A majority of employers say they already offer initiatives to help

• A majority of employers surveyed offer some work-life balance initiatives, however these may not be taken up by employees nor be available to all employees.

Most employers do not see any barriers to offering flexibility

• Most employers did not see barriers to offering flexible working arrangements in workplaces. But among those who did, the most common barriers were that the “type of work needed everyone at work at the same time” and that flexible work arrangements may be hard to manage or organise.

The types of flexibility offered in workplaces will vary according to business size

• The types of flexibility offered by employers will differ according to the size of the business. Small employers (with up to 10 staff) appear to be very flexible and offer a range of working practices to staff.  However as organisations grow in size, it appears to become more difficult to provide flexible working arrangements.

Find out more about these issues.

WHAT ARE THE KEY BENEFITS?

The government’s long term goal is to increase productivity and skill levels so we move to a high-value, high-wage economy that ensures economic growth, and provides a better standard of living for New Zealanders.  New Zealanders also really care about quality of life, for themselves, their families and communities. 

Quality flexible work is one way of providing New Zealanders with opportunities to contribute effectively at work while meeting their other responsibilities and desire for quality of life outside work.

Quality flexible work is important for workplaces

Research shows that there are significant business benefits from implementing flexible work practices that, in a tight labour market, can give workplaces a competitive advantage.  These benefits can include:

• improved recruitment and retention rates, with associated cost savings;
• reduced absenteeism and sick leave usage;
• a reduction in worker stress and improvements in employee satisfaction and loyalty;
• greater flexibility for business operating hours;
• improved productivity; and
• improved corporate image, becoming an ‘employer of choice’.

However some employers can find it hard to implement and manage flexible work arrangements, and in some types of jobs some arrangements, such as working from home, are not possible. 

Quality flexible work is important for individuals

They are better able to:

• effectively manage multiple responsibilities at home, work and in the community;
• effectively manage transitions in life such as moving into retirement; and
• participate more in family life, and community, cultural and recreational activities.

It may also help to reduce travel time and congestion on roads and public transport.

Quality flexible work is important for families and communities

Over the past 20 years the demands of the modern workplace are perceived to have impacted heavily on family and community life.  Parenting requires time, an ageing population means eldercare is becoming more significant and personal time, including for sports or working in the community, is shrinking.  At some point in their lives most people need to manage transitions, whether it is caring for children or older parents, moving towards retirement or taking up learning opportunities.  Flexible work arrangements can have other positive spin-offs, such as reducing travel times and peak traffic congestion.

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