Think outside the box

By Gill Morgan, National Officer, Employment Relations at Royal College of Nursing

As Trade unions we regularly advise our members about their options after a flexible working request has been declined – not surprisingly, one of the more common complaints we hear is that managers aren’t open to exploring different ways of working, and that they are too rigid in their thinking. Often we hear that members haven’t even got as far as making a formal request, saying “my manager won’t even consider it, so there’s no point in asking”.

This “computer says no” approach could be seen as one of underlying reasons behind there being such a wide gap between the formally agreed flexible working policies of NHS organisations and the everyday experience of front-line NHS staff. Despite the good intentions of the NHS People Promise, we’re hearing all too often about members’ requests being turned down without any evidence of appropriate and meaningful real consideration. This is in spite of the specific provisions in sections 33.14-33.17 of NHS terms and conditions which clearly describe the processes which employers must follow.

After a 40-year career, 19 of them as a front-line NHS nurse, and the last 21 years as a professional union officer for the RCN, I’m about to retire. I’m taking every opportunity to reflect on what I have learned and experienced over that time. And where flexible working opportunities for NHS staff are concerned, have I seen a system-wide sea-change in how NHS staff work? And do the majority of them have a genuinely flexible work-life balance that they haven’t had to fight long and hard to achieve? The simple answer is “no, not yet”.

Yes, things have improved to some extent. Everyone on NHS terms and conditions has had the right to request flexible working arrangements from day 1 of their employment, since September 2021. All NHS organisations should have an agreed Flexible Working policy and procedure. Some organisations will have fantastic examples of teams and departments where the majority of staff have been enabled to work in the most flexible ways possible, without any negative impact on service delivery and patient care.

But, there are still far too many NHS staff members whose requests are refused outright, often with managers giving the most unreasonable rationale for their decision “you can’t work part time in anything higher than a band 5 role”; “you’re a band 7, you have to be here 5 days a week, compressing your hours into 4 days is not possible”, “a full time role can only be covered by one person” “if I let you reduce your hours from full time, finance will reclaim the remaining hours into the overspend and we will lose part of your post”. None of these rationales will be detailed in an agreed flexible working policy because they are, at least in my opinion, unacceptable.

And so, I’m making a simple request to all NHS managers, especially those of you responsible for staffing your teams and departments – please ‘think outside the box’ when dealing with flexible working requests.

I know that with the immense workloads and constant pressure most NHS staff are working under, you don’t ever feel you have enough time to think creatively and explore different options. But in the longer-term, if you can invest more time and energy in really considering the options for every flexible working request, the associated rewards will be positive – on everything from managing issues with morale and sickness absence to recruitment. More flexibility means less sickness, better retention, reduced recruitment costs, lower bank and agency costs, improved wellbeing and higher levels of staff engagement. Actively supporting and championing flexible working opportunities is one of the most effective tools in your belts! So how can you get creative with flex and show staff they are valued?

Re-think the shape of your roles

You might be faced with a flexible working request, or perhaps you’re wondering how you can attract more candidates to fill  vacancies. Please take the time to think through all the different options that flexible working offers – it’s about so much more than only part-time working. If you feel that a role can’t work part-time, perhaps it could be job-share? Could it be an opportunity for development for team members eg if a band 6 post holder wants to reduce their hours, why not encourage team members to apply who might be interested in working at a higher band for part of their working week, while retaining their existing band for the remainder? If you’re losing staff to early retirement, is it worth exploring flexible retirement with them? Can that band 7 role actually work compressed hours to attract the right level of experienced candidate? In a world where 9 out of 10 job seekers are looking for more flexibility, it’s more important than ever to show that you’re open to flexible ways of working and in the current NHS climate, that means getting creative.

Two heads are better than one. Actually, the more heads (or ideas) the better – well, when it comes to creativity at least! So, ask your team to think more creatively about how you can introduce more flexibility for everyone – as managers, you don’t always have to have the answers and when you bring everyone together to brainstorm or redesign a process an unexpected solution may become clear.

Look beyond your team or specialty

It’s hard when you’re so busy, but getting inspiration from outside your team, outside your organisation, and even outside the NHS, can really help us to think more creatively. There’s a wealth of case studies that can help you to see what’s possible and can spur you and your team into approaching a problem differently. In my experience, colleagues across the NHS are always so helpful when it comes to sharing good practice. So, if you come across an example that you’re interested in finding out more about, why not get in touch with the project lead? Maybe you could invite them to talk to your team to help get people thinking.

There you have it. My call to action. Innovation and flexibility go hand in hand, and creative NHS managers can lead the way in supporting all of their staff to have a healthy work-life balance.