1. Flexible working practices Tony Stevens Women in Science, Engineering and Technology (WinSET) Coordinator University of Nottingham

2. What is it? Any working pattern that is adapted to an individuals needs. Includes: flexi time, annualised hours, compressed hours, staggered hours, job sharing, TOIL, term-time working, career breaks, homeworking, part-time working

3. What are the top three things that staff want from flexible working? Variation in hours of the working day To be able to work from home one or two days a week Work a compressed working week

4. How widespread is flexible working in the UK? What % of employers say they offer some kind of flexible working? What % of new businesses start up from home? What % of all businesses are home based? What % of the workforce work part-time? What % of the workforce works mainly from home?

5. How widespread is flexible working in the UK? What % of employers say they offer some kind of flexible working? 90% What % of new businesses start up from home? What % of all businesses are home based? What % of the workforce work part-time? What % of the workforce works mainly from home? Data: ONS, Dept for Business Surveys

6. How widespread is flexible working in the UK? What % of employers say they offer some kind of flexible working? 90% What % of new businesses start up from home? 60% What % of all businesses are home based? What % of the workforce work part-time? What % of the workforce works mainly from home? Data: ONS, Dept for Business Surveys

7. How widespread is flexible working in the UK? What % of employers say they offer some kind of flexible working? 90% What % of new businesses start up from home? 60% What % of all businesses are home based? 41% What % of the workforce work part-time? What % of the workforce works mainly from home? Data: ONS, Dept for Business Surveys

8. How widespread is flexible working in the UK? What % of employers say they offer some kind of flexible working? 90% What % of new businesses start up from home? 60% What % of all businesses are home based? 41% What % of the workforce work part-time? 27% What % of the workforce works mainly from home? Data: ONS, Dept for Business Surveys

9. How widespread is flexible working in the UK? What % of employers say they offer some kind of flexible working? 90% What % of new businesses start up from home? 60% What % of all businesses are home based? 41% What % of the workforce work part-time? 27% What % of the workforce works mainly from home? 13% Data: ONS, Dept for Business Surveys

10. Time and Costs Average time of daily commute? Annual total mileage of all car commutes? 10million office staff occupy how much space (m²)? Average office occupancy? Average annual office costs per head?

11. Time and Costs Average time of daily commute?1 hour Annual total mileage of all car commutes? 10million office staff occupy how much space (m²)? Average office occupancy? Average annual office costs per head? Data: www.flexibility.co.uk

12. Time and Costs Average time of daily commute?1 hour Annual total mileage of all car commutes?80,000,000,000 10million office staff occupy how much space (m²)? Average office occupancy? Average annual office costs per head? Data: www.flexibility.co.uk

13. Time and Costs Average time of daily commute?1 hour Annual total mileage of all car commutes?80,000,000,000 10million office staff occupy how much space (m²)?110,000,000 Average office occupancy? Average annual office costs per head? Data: www.flexibility.co.uk

14. Time and Costs Average time of daily commute?1 hour Annual total mileage of all car commutes?80,000,000,000 10million office staff occupy how much space (m²)?110,000,000 Average office occupancy?45% Average annual office costs per head? Data: www.flexibility.co.uk

15. Time and Costs Average time of daily commute?1 hour Annual total mileage of all car commutes?80,000,000,000 10million office staff occupy how much space (m²)?110,000,000 Average office occupancy?45% Average annual office costs per head?£6000 Data: www.flexibility.co.uk

16. Progression in chemistry by gender, 2006/07 Data source: HESA (2007)

17. Progression in physics by gender, 2007/08 Data source: HESA (2008)

19. Good working practices Good working practices help everyone but tend to help women proportionately more Bad working practices affect everyone but tend to impact on women more

20. Athena SWAN www.athenaswan.org.uk Launched in 2005. Its key principles: The advancement of science, engineering and technology is fundamental to quality of life across the globe. It is vitally important that women are adequately represented in what has traditionally been, and is still, a male-dominated area. Science cannot reach its full potential unless it can benefit from the talents of the whole population, and until women and men can benefit equally from the opportunities it affords.

21. Athena SWAN Charter 1. To address gender inequalities requires commitment and action from everyone, at all levels of the organisation 2. To tackle the unequal representation of women in science requires changing cultures and attitudes across the organisation 3. The absence of diversity at management and policy-making levels has broad implications which the organisation will examine 4. The high loss rate of women in science is an urgent concern which the organisation will address 5. The system of short-term contracts has particularly negative consequences for the retention and progression of women in science, which the organisation recognises 6. There are both personal and structural obstacles to women making the transition from PhD into a sustainable academic career in science, which require the active consideration of the organisation.

22. WinSET www.nottingham.ac.uk/winset Aims of the WinSET Group: Representatives from Childcare Services, HR, Research and Graduate Services and Staff Equality and Diversity Action Group attend WinSET Representative from every SET/STEMM School attends WinSET meetings Importance of cultural change to develop trust based working environment Not where, when, how BUT wherever, whenever, however Normalising flexibility Flexible working practices benefit everyone and also helps create a fairer workplace Promote and disseminate leadership skills to manage expectations, support staff, agree new protocols – change wont happen by itself Encourage the use of staff surveys Core hours policy (1000-1500) established across University. No strategic meetings held outside these hours Review of KIT days conducted

23. Some examples of flexible working from the University of Nottingham Faculty of Engineering: A policy to consider potential in relation to the impact of periods of part-time working or family leave on promotion applications is adopted within the Faculty. This is reflected in the internal form used to collect additional information for promotion applications. Team teaching is encouraged and TWM allows for easy sharing of loads to help support flexible teaching hours.

24. Some examples of flexible working from the University of Nottingham School of Biosciences: The School allows flexible working on an informal basis since this maximises effectiveness. TWM ensures agreements are open and transparent. The School encourages smart working rather than working long hours. It is nevertheless understood that sometimes long hours are necessary, but flexibility allows for working at home or taking time off for family commitments when necessary. Long-term flexibility is accommodated by agreeing alternative start and finish hours with Head of Division or Head of School. Head of School is happy to allow staff to manage their own time. Most academic staff work flexible hours.

25. Some examples of flexible working from the University of Nottingham School of Physics and Astronomy: TWM ensures allowances are made and recorded (and other people can see they are recorded) for any part-time working, maternity/parental/carer leave. New academic staff/returners given a reduced teaching load typically ramped up over 3 year period. Staff survey indicated that 38% of staff spent at least one day a month working from home. Experiments often run outside of normal working hours so flexibility vital – staff survey showed 85% of staff worked flexible hours. Flexitime for all support staff.

26. Some examples of flexible working from the University of Nottingham School of Community Health Sciences: Command and control management style wont work. Long hours culture and presence replaced by focus on proportional outputs. Use of fractional contracts (not necessarily just term- time contracts) that give same contractual benefits as full time. In last 3 years, 3 female academics have been on fractional contracts (2 Associate Professors, 1 Clinical Associate Professor).

27. Exercise 1: What flexible working practices would help in each of the situations below? Increased flexibility over the working day? Increased flexibility over the working week? Increased flexibility over medium term working patterns? Increased flexibility over the career?

28. Exercise 2: What are some home working headaches? How can these be addressed?

29. Poor management support Isolation Time management Low team spirit Technological problems Poorer work/life balance Managing performance Less collaboration Less visibility

30. Exercise 3: Whats in it for the institution/business?

31. Cost effectiveness - work takes place at most effective times and locations Happier employees = more productive staff Use of technology can reduce fixed and variable costs Better performance management – results not presence Better service delivery Improved staff retention Office space reduction Travel reduction Less absenteeism

32. If you need any more information: Tony Stevens WinSET Coordinator Tony.Stevens@nottingham.ac.uk www.nottingham.ac.uk/winset