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Caroline Tierney
In Change

Lessons in less is more from Roosevelt to South Cambridgeshire Council

Fancy improved productivity from your local council – including customer calls being answered more quickly, faster planning decisions and lower turnover in the refuse collection department?

Time to move council employees to a four-day week.

That’s according to a recent trial by South Cambridgeshire district council which showed productivity improvements and improved employee outcomes from their trial (Source: South Cambridgeshire Council).

This news was closely followed by the 4 Day Week Campaign announcing a new, wider ranging flexible working trial. This fresh evidence and a fresh UK government has re-energised the debate on whether more or less hours could be the cure to UK productivity since it flatlined in 2020.

Anyone considering this challenge would do well to remember it’s less than 90 years* since the weekend started catching on in much of the western world. Yet many hold on to working 9-5, five days a week as if there is no other option. Despite all evidence to the contrary.  

If Dolly doesn’t have the answer, who does?

Does building evidence of positive outcomes for four-day weeks mean my grandchild will write about 2024 as the moment society shifted to a four-day week? I’m no mystic, but I suspect not. The expanding scope of the 4 Day Week Campaign’s new trial to consider a fuller range of flexible working options holds the clue to where I suspect – and honestly hope – we’re heading.

The new trial represents a move towards a more rounded, more human and arguably more commercial approach – where one size fits all, is replaced with a meeting of business and human needs.

It’s why I’m holding out hope my imaginary grandchild will draw a line between the shifts we make to the reasons Henry Ford, Franklin Roosevelt and John Boot delivered a weekend for working people. They acted because they understood good human outcomes could also deliver good business outcomes.

Their intentions were commercially and socially sound and their decisions came to define the working lives of millions of people. That’s what we see continue in the most successful changes to working practices today and why the company that called themselves ‘4 day week’ are trialling a fresh approach.

However many days or hours we work, one thing is clear. Good business can also be good for humanity. As a B Corp this is baked into everything we do at Home. But it’s also a guiding principle I’d recommend taking into any conversations you might have on working practices in your business. If it was good enough for Henry Ford…

 

*There’s no single start point, but 1934 when British chemist Boots created a ‘weekend’ at their Nottingham factory to reduce absenteeism and increase productivity (sound familiar?) is a neat 90 years ago and just before Roosevelt’s New Deal made created a legal framework for the weekend in the USA.

Zac Costello
In Change

Are Gen Z reshaping the world of work?

Generation Z (1996-2012) walk among us. In fact, by 2025, they’ll account for more than 25% of the workforce. So, as organisations scramble for ways to attract and engage this new generation, how are our workplaces being reshaped?

Firstly, to understand a generation, we need to look beyond the stereotypes – and our unconscious bias – to understand people’s lived experiences and how it has influenced them.

So, how are Gen Z’s expectations shaping the workplace?

Technology
Gen Z matured alongside some of the greatest technology we’ve ever known, making them one of the most digitally savvy generations – ready, willing and able to adapt to new tools and technology. On top of that, they’ve thrived in the era of social media, driving a revolution in how we communicate. Their expectations of tech and comms needs to be met in the workplace (please don’t give them a BlackBerry) to create a stimulating and fulfilling experience. Anything less will be seen as the Stone Age.

Equality, diversity & inclusion
Gen Z grew up in a far more diverse world than any of the previous generations. And when they consider diversity, they are more likely to think beyond protected characteristics to include a mixture of experiences, identities, and opinions – as well as having the freedom to express themselves. To be seen and heard. Gen Z are holding organisations to account for their commitment to EDI – from a policy, leadership, and brand perspective – looking for those that stand by their word, and leaving those who don’t.

Purpose
Gen Z are the ‘hustle generation’ with many working two or more jobs. The cost-of-living is making this a necessity for some but on a deeper-level, Gen Z are exploring their passion projects, the activities that give them meaning – as well as extra cash. Organisational purpose has existed for decades but Gen Z are looking for workplaces where they can make a difference, doing something that sets their soul on fire. And let’s not forget about values – because how we do it (sustainably and ethically) means a lot too.

Flexibility
For Gen Z, the pandemic occurred at a pivotal time when they were just entering the workplace. So, all they ever knew was a zoom call from their bedroom. And this taste of work outside the office has meant that flexibility is a natural state of mind – it’s their expectation of work. And the key is flexibility – they don’t want to ‘WFH’ all the time, because they’re hungry for in-person communication, collaborating with real people. As workplaces reshape their office environments, creating space to connect and work together is vital for our newest generation. Those that can balance flexibility with collaborative environments will win the battle for Gen Z.

Zac Costello
In Change, Communications, Culture

A new generation of benefits

Benefits are commonplace across many, if not all, organisations. They’re those extra little perks designed to help people save money, manage their wellbeing and maintain a better work-life balance.

But findings from a YouGov survey suggest that, in the UK alone, organisations are wasting up to £15bn a year on unused benefits. So, what’s going wrong?

One size fits all?

For some organisations, benefits are simply an incentive, in addition to salary. A way of saying, “when you work for us, you get access to all this great stuff!”

And it works. From free dental care and subsidised gym memberships to wellness programmes and flexible working… and everything in between. They’re normally packed with a variety of offerings – whether we need them or not – that can add genuine benefit to people’s lives.

But, at the same time, the one size fits all approach to benefits, fails to account for the real-life challenges, experiences and needs that people have. And with five generations in the workplace, there’s a lot of variance in terms of what people want and need, depending on where they’re at in their life-stage.

Perhaps this makes the eye-watering amount of waste make sense?

A meaningful approach

So, in an ever-competitive talent and retention market, organisations are beginning to evolve their approach to benefits, customising their offering and investing their budget in meaningful ways, responding to the needs of their employees, as they progress through their lives and careers.

These include student loan assistance and financial education for Gen Z; fertility treatment and family planning support to attract millennials; services to manage university admission processes for Gen X’s children and assistance services to manage the administrative aspect of caring for elderly relatives; and even ‘grand-ternity’ leave to allow employees time-off to support with childcare and spend time with grandchildren.

The organisations responding to genuine human needs are visibly showing their employees that, “we hear you, we see you, we care about you”. They’re creating a connection with their employees, and it benefits the organisation too – enhancing culture, boosting retention and even driving productivity.

Creating human benefits

Creating personalised, human benefits begins by understanding your employees. Yes, data can give you a broad understanding of the make-up of your organisation, but conversation is where you’ll uncover the real detail.

If your organisation has them, Employee Resource Groups are a positive place to start. These groups, formed around shared characteristics and interests, may already be engaged in conversation about the unique challenges they face and the support they require and/or would benefit from, from the organisation.

Recruitment teams may also provide further valuable insight into the types of questions potential candidates are asking around benefits, as well as what competitors are offering.

And we, at Home, can also share some of the recent changes we’ve introduced to ensure we show up for each other, through many of life’s difficult phases.

On our LinkedIn page, we’ve shared our menopause and cancer policies. And although we call them ‘policies’, they’re designed to ensure that we can all benefit from a culture and environment that recognises the unique (and incredibly challenging) circumstances we can all face.

By making these available our aim was to spark a conversation that needs to be had, making these policies more common, and to provide a template – a foundation – for other organisations to build on and implement.

Let’s transform how we think about benefits from a catalogue of short-term perks to a personalised offering that enables people to be at their best, no matter where they are in their life journey.

If this is something you’d like to chat more about, drop us a message, email or even give us a call.

Caroline Tierney
In Change, Culture

Change the system, not the women.

Change the system, not the women.

I recently had the absolute privilege of joining 100 women – and about three men – at Careering into Motherhood live. Bringing together a community of individuals and employers working towards a world where motherhood and ambition can happily co-exist. We shared stories, insights, and advice with a view to creating a brighter, more equitable future. As well as providing practical support to help each other navigate the reality of a working world that is still not designed for working parents. 

Apart from the joy of being in a (real life) room full of working mothers and all the strength, resilience and excellent jokes that comes with that, this was a day full of education and inspiration I had to share. 

I’ve heard three is the magic number, so here’s my three thought-provoking moments from the day.  

1. System change is a long-haul project. But change can and is happening. 

Sometimes I feel like we’re peddling up a hill in the wrong gear. Especially when almost half of UK working mums believe their chances of promotion have been negatively impacted by asking for flexible work arrangements (Careering into Motherhood, 2023). We’re nearly three generations on from equal pay legislation in the UK. How can this be true? 

But then I looked around the room. And listened to women like JLL UK CEO Stephanie Hyde tell us “you can go part-time and end up as Chief Executive” and my heart sings. Stephanie and I aren’t so different in age. We both attended ‘promotion ready’ courses that included people telling you what to wear and how to speak to be accepted as a woman in a corporate (read: man’s) world.  

Now I sit and hear that shared parental leave and a package of support for working parents are becoming an expected benefit in the UK. Something that’s long been true in parts of Europe and is increasingly a way to differentiate your employer brand globally. The real progress for me is the approach is grounded in an honest appreciation that every family looks different. And perhaps most importantly that supporting working families isn’t all about maternity. IVF, adoption, miscarriage, caring responsibilities, extended family support – the list is endless.  

By taking a person-centred, flexible approach with empowered and supported line managers, employers are creating exceptional employee experiences in even the toughest of times. And it is always worth saying that is as much a commercial investment as it is a moral issue.  

2. You can get off the escalator. Our working lives are long enough to take some changes of pace. 

At Home, we’re all about the employee experience from hire to retire. We sometimes illustrate that as a linear diagram. But we know it’s almost always much squigglier than that.  

Some people will want to keep pushing for promotion as their number one priority whatever their personal life looks like. That’s great. But if you’re having conversations about talent gaps in your business, it might be time to take a fresh look at your approach to development.  

Does your talent pipeline focus on the people pushing up? Or does it make space for a more diverse group – including people who want to pause progress and deliver in a role where they feel confident while home needs more of them? Or who don’t want to take on a bigger role or team, but do want to find a new challenge they can deliver within their personal boundaries.   

I was the latter. And I felt sidelined because I needed to set new boundaries and had to re-evaluate what I wanted from my career. In my case, big corporate’s loss was Home and my own home’s gain. How many other women have dropped out of your talent pipeline and might be looking elsewhere for that new challenge?  

3. You can’t get there on your own 

This is as true of the leadership and People teams, as it is the parents. It can be easy to feel like you carry the responsibility of the world. That the stakes are too high to allow for failure. Whether that’s proving you can create the perfect parental leave strategy while you have that change window, or finding the perfect balance because your children only start school once. You might know the feeling – have you baked the cake, run the marathon, and impressed at the board meeting? All with an effortless smile of course. 

We’re all still learning.

It’s healthy to embrace failures. To help, find your allies and be open to coaching and support as you face new challenges and the latest phase (right now I’m potty training, having a confidence wobble 6 months into a career move and pretending to be interested in Star Wars Top Trumps in case you’re interested). It’s tough, but important to value and invest in your support team – whether that’s trusted friends, colleagues, mentors, or a professional coach.   

The bottom line? 

More than half of working people are parents. This is talent you can’t afford to ignore. And we are not going anywhere quietly. The good news? You don’t need deep pockets to become a destination employer for working parents. Yes, shared, well-funded parental leave and childcare investment are the headlines. But many of us are seeking trust, a little flexibility on when and where we work, respect for our long-term commitment and understanding that every family looks different. Which last time I checked doesn’t cost a penny in any currency.   

Need a little help understanding what your employees think of your approach to working parents? We’d love to talk.   

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