Features | 11


Variable Start/Finish Times,and Working From Home (or anywhere else for that


Compressed Hours essentially means


Working into the fabric of his company: “Our policy has always allowed employees to work flexible hours, as long as the work gets done with no negative impacts on others. Employees take advantage of this policy to catch agood swell, or go bouldering for an afternoon, pursue an education, or get home in time to greet the kids when they climb down from the school bus.”


The subsequent affect of such managerial practice undoubtedly provides the foundations for organisational change towards working culture, which at present, in the RAF, is often reliant upon ‘presenteeism’ that can lead to people in positions of responsibility to frown upon those daring to want anything but the Monday to Friday 0800 –1700 Station- based working pattern. For this reason, it is perhaps unsurprising that when confronting aparticular cohort of mid-level commanders about their approach to Flexible Working applications, that their responses included ‘If Iallow one person to have Flexible Working everyone will want it...’ and ‘it’s not the Services fault that they own ahouse in the South of England, why should they have compressed hours to travel home early on aFriday…’ Both of which are evidently saddening attitudes to come across, that will in some cases result in personnel choosing to leave the Service –a mistake that the Service’s recruitment and selection process will struggle to offset. Striving to change the way in which we all think about where the working environment exists is one method of tackling these antiquated approaches for positive affect, and by that; Imean recognising that work can include home, or acafé, or apark, or occupy adifferent space in time to that which we usually associate with ‘normal working hours’.


In comparison, the more tangible barriers to Flexible Working, such as alack of laptops or the need to be co-located with equipment (aircraft), whilst can be equally as preventative as negative attitudes, are perhaps more tolerable. Due to the structural nature of the Service; in that the majority of us are posted every few years, it’s possible that where Flexible Working cannot work in one posting there are opportunities


to be posted into aposition where the physical constraints to Flexible Working are not as equally prevalent. However,to monopolise such opportunities, and changes in circumstances (including increasing IT availability) the default position of the leadership must be geared towards facilitating Flexible Working applications rather than saying ‘no’, because after all, culture trumps policy.Often this involves taking some risk, trying some new methods of working, and making tough decisions; but of course we can do that, right? That’s why we have been employed as military leaders…?


Who Is It For and What’s on Offer?


So, who is it for and what’s on offer? Whilst it is recognised that the uptake of Flexible Working is often centred around childcare arrangements and traveling to and from home, really anyone can use it. Whether you look after an elderly relative, or simply want to tailor your working day around ahobby or sport, Flexible Working is here to help. To be clear,Flexible Working in the strictest sense differs from ad-hoc arrangements that Iwould defined as nipping to the garage to drop your car off for aservice, or finishing early on the odd occasion to hit the road. Such examples can often be easily granted without aneed to record the short absence from the workplace, where as Flexible Working arrangements are long-standing agreements between you and your CoC that are registered and reviewed on JPA2


into fewer days, in order to reduce the number of hours worked on another day(s), often to have a longer weekend. A Full-Time Reserve Service Squadron Leader at RAF Wittering who works Compressed Hours said: ‘Prior to FW, because of the relentless nature and variety of tasks coming into my offi ce, coupled with persistent manpower shortages, I was working over 50+ hours per week with the expectation from an external organisation that I would always be available to resolve issues. I was getting home on a Friday evening in a zombie- like state; often requiring the whole weekend to recover to merely start again on Monday; which gave me no proper family or leisure time. FW allows me to concentrate and package my work into 4days (Mon-Thurs) allowing tasks to be completed but provides additional time to recuperate and enjoy weekends with my family. My overall health has benefitted noticeably in the short period Ihave been on FW.’


.Though


it is not aright to be permitted to adopt a Flexible Working arrangement, every CoC is obliged to assist where possible. In particular circumstances, it might be that your full request cannot be met, but apartial solution can be sought. The key to making any arrangement work is good communication and abit of flexibility between both the Chain of Command and the Service person.


In terms of what’s on offer,there are three main types of Flexible Working, which are defined as; working Compressed Hours, 2


Variable Start/Finish Times is agreat method of taking your working day when you like it. So instead of working normal working hours (normally 0800 –1700 on most stations); for example you might start at 0630 and finish 1530, or start at 1000 on Mondays and finish at 1900, then on Friday start at 0600 to finish 1500 to help you have aless stressful commute to and from home at the weekend. ASenior Aircraftman based at RAF Wittering who enjoys Variable Start/ Finish Times, informed us that ‘as aresult of the MOD providing myself with flexible working arrangements, Ihave been able to help support my family with collecting my kids from school/ nursery’s and taking them to Gymnastics’, all in support for my wife enabling her to attend staff meetings at work. Having the chance to support my family with flexible working patterns has helped free up our busy lives. Ihighly recommended to anyone who has kids and or abusy working life style to look into flexible working.” In addition, aSquadron Leader who works Variable Start/Finish Times at RAF High Wycombe and other add-hoc arrangements said that ‘starting work earlier than the Headquarters normal working hours is fantastic, it means Ican finish work early to beat the busy Buckinghamshire commute to my SFAquarter some distance away and get to my evening class on time. Iamalso lucky enough to have awork phone and use of the Team’s laptop for the odd occasion that Ineed to work from home. Having such flexibility means that Serving in the RAF is part of my life, rather than it being my life in total.’


Registering the arrangement on JPAisanimportant


part of the policy building process and proving its success, where it allows HQ Air to monitor the uptake and conduct trend analysis –there’s no point having a policy that no one uses!


Working From Home,working from home really means working anywhere remotely; awifi hotspot, your home, or another


raf-ff.org.uk |Autumn 2018 | ENVOY


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