10 | Features
Flexible Working; it’s aTeam Sport
In April 2019, Flexible Service (FS) will introduce apioneering method of allowing Armed Forces personnel to adjust their daily commitment to the Services or operational deployability with an accompanying and fair reduction to their remuneration package (pay & pension). Whilst for some this policy change will represent along-awaited opportunity to make significant changes to their working life, for others there remains astrong demand for other ways in which to strike that fine balance between work and life. Thankfully, through avery different variety of RAF policies, Flexible Working is available for all RAF personnel to assist in adjusting the working week without taking ahit on the annual
salary.Inother words, you can think of Flexible Service (FS) as working less for less, and think of Flexible Working (FW) as working the same but differently, and that ‘differently’isonyour terms. The RAF’s formula for Flexible Working has been enabled by holding people at the very core of what we do, and resulting in policies that are competitive, or often better than civilian equivalents –proven by having recently scooped three titles at the Families’ Best Practice Awards 2018.
“Why on earth would anyone run acompany that was hard to work for?”
Yvon Chouinard – founder of Patagonia and Black Diamond, business philosopher and author of Let My People Go Surfi ng.
Why Flexible Working?
70% of the Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey 2018 respondents indicated that as a result of serving they experienced an adverse impact on their family and personal life, which was subsequently increasing their intention to leave. This situation is exacerbated by a strong fi nancial climate with a high prospect of civilian employment
fl exible working and are subsequently reporting increases in workforce productivity1 1
work flexibly,93% of Lloyds roles are advertised as flex- ible, and Pursuit Marketing work a4day week with no impact on salary or benefits at an increased productivity rate of 30%. Working families Awards 2018 Programme.
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that high work-life conflict is associated with work stress, turnover intentions, actual turnover,and poor health; whereas lower conflict is associated with greater job satisfaction, organisational commitment, job performance and organisational citizenship behaviours. Simply put, it is in our interests to minimise work-life conflict where possible. Organisations can mitigate against work- life conflict through offering family-friendly policies such as flexible working practices. Wielding such astrong case, it is clear that the RAF must ingrain Flexible Working into the fabric of the organisation and support personnel wishing to undertake adifferent working pattern wherever feasible. With this in mind, it is easy to see how beneficial flexible working can be for both the individual and the Service.
The Commanding Officer’s Challenge and Cultural Change
With ever present fast paced and dynamic operational demands the RAF, above all, must be prepared to meet its operational commitments. Historically the Services modus operandi in reactively dealing with tasks as they arise has necessitated having an abundance of personnel on-hand for immediate use, thereby limiting the amount of fl exibility that our people can incorporate into their working days. Whilst in many situations this approach to work is unavoidable, the section/fl ight/squadron/wing commanders’ challenge in enabling fl exible working is to disassociate the physical presence of people
with their traditional place of work by becoming masters of the technology at our disposal to maintain the type of contact that they would expect if when they shared a hangar or an office. Skype, VTC, and mobile phones are all useful tools for contacting flexible working subordinates, and ideally as amatter of routine rather than in necessity. Frequent contact via these means can suffice to be assured that the task in question is in hand, whilst also ensuring that the subordinate feels that they are still responsible, valued, and part of the team despite working remotely, from home, or at adifferent time of day. These managerial behaviours if repeated to the point of becoming the norm can helpfully subside the comfort blanket of having people constantly present whilst also building the flexibility of people’s lives into the success of the Team. To aid our progress in this regard we can learn agreat deal from observing the results of businesses such as Patagonia, who’s founder,Yvon Chouinard, ingrained Flexible
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