Workplace Flex-ability - the basics

 

My research involves speaking to SME employers and over the years I have found that the desire to be flex-able (responding to individual employee need to enhance ability and productive capability) is there, but a lack of practical guidance stands in the way. SME business owners are typically time poor and overloaded with both internal and external pressures. The smaller the firm, the less likely they are to have formal Human Resource expertise, resources and processes those larger businesses may have. SMEs want and need information that is clear and easily accessible, and I hope this blog provides some very simple ideas. If you'd like to embed flex-ability into your workplace policies and practice, here are some really simple steps to get you started on that journey.💫👇✔

     💭Take time to understand equality law including the benefits of making reasonable adjustments (especially during the recruitment process). You may not see the value in this or think it unnecessary, but if you know what your legal obligations are then you can begin to evaluate where you are and what work still needs to take place to ensure you are compliant. Better still, strive to go beyond the minimum requirements and you will stand out to potential recruits and existing employees as an employer of choice. Watch your retention rates grow and reap the benefits of a happy, health workforce 👌❤

     💭Consider taking positive action - under the Equality Act this refers to a very specific situation where, as an employer, you can favour a person with a particular impairment in recruitment provided a number of conditions are met. These are that: you have two candidates who have applied for a position who are equally qualified for the role; one of those candidates has an impairment and the other does not; and you do not have a policy of favouring disabled people or people with a particular disability over others. In this example, appointing the disabled person is a proportionate means of increasing the participation of disabled people in your workforce

     💭Seek out sources of support through schemes such as Access to Work - this can make the difference between someone falling out of work when they acquire a long-term health condition or impairment. 

     💭Ask disabled people what reasonable adjustments they would need to ensure they are working to the best of their capability. But don't assume they will know what is on offer or even what they need. If this is a new condition/impairment it may take them a while to figure out support needs or changes to working patterns/environment etc. For somebody with a longer history of living with their condition knowing what works might be far easier to describe. Try not to make assumptions or compare them to others with the same impairment or health condition. What works for one person may not be the solution for another. So keep it simple, and just ask. Be empathetic, listen and respect that the personal experience of disability can vary widely dependent on so many other factors. For example, where someone lives and the access to public transport could be the major hurdle to continuing to work on-site. Offering remote or hybrid working may be all that is needed to enable them to continue working. But bare in mind, that working from home brings it own challenges that you as the employer will need to respond to appropriately. 

     💭Remember that accessibility is key but it will be different for each individual. Impairments impact people to varying degrees and in various ways. Some impairments are hidden, some fluctuate, some are easy to manage and others may take time to find the right solution – be willing to think creatively, and to be flex-able.

     💭Learn from other similar size employers or employers who are in the same sector as you. Ask them questions. You are not expected to be an expert on all matters but over time you will be a champion for disability inclusive employment practice. 

     💭Consider how to make conversations comfortable for your employees to want to talk about their impairments. This will reduce the fear and stigma around disclosure. Something I have termed "disclosure dilemmas". 

     💭Speak openly about your own concerns as an employer, what are you expecting to be problematic/difficult for you, for the employee and the impact on other colleagues, and find solutions in consultation with your employee (and others if that is appropriate). The more we talk about health, well-being, inclusion, accessibility and disability the easier it becomes to see things from new perspectives. Sharing concerns with your team and working in a consultative way will help maintain good employer/employee relations. 

     👏Once you have gained in confidence you can begin to share your knowledge of inclusive practice with your employer networks – help them to take the steps to become an inclusive employer - feed it forward! 👉👉👉

You can also find guidance from GOV.UK on Employing disabled people and people with health conditions and Access to work and the Equality and Human Rights Commission has produced workplace adjustments guidance and ACAS provides information on disability discrimination.

Feel free to contact me with any queries. I can point you to good sources of information and guidance that are not included here. I can also assist with consultancy and collaborations should you wish to conduct your own in-house research or evaluation. 

Email me at: c.j.molyneux@leeds.ac.uk 

Find me on LinkedIn and Twitter