Social mobility charity Speakers for Schools has introduced a new policy that allows staff to work completely flexibly and from any location.
The charity is rolling out the initiative this month (September) to support the wellbeing of its 85 employees who are all based in different locations across the UK.
The organisation will also become 100% remote, will fund employees’ home office set-ups and provide organisational wellbeing champions, as well as having no meetings on Wednesdays among other policies to support the transition. Two office hubs will also be available in London and Manchester if employees want to work there.
According to the business, this will allow it to broaden its recruitment pool and encourage applicants from a wider range of locations and experiences.
In addition to the policy, new working practices such as hackathons, induction buddies, team socials and regular surveys have been embraced by employees, who said that they have helped to foster a collaboration culture while also supporting a balance to their working and personal lives.
Jason Elsom, chief executive officer of Speakers for Schools, said: “We have been relentless in our efforts to support young people with supplying life-changing work experience and career opportunities without the financial and temporal burden of a commute. I hope the ability to work from anywhere will attract new talent to the organisation as we continue to rapidly grow, by helping to ensure employee wellbeing and a healthy work-life balance.”
Suzy Flanagan, HR director at Speakers for Schools, added that the charity value its employees and their input “hugely”, and that its flexible approach to remote working means it can be even more inclusive.
“Expanding the organisation’s recruitment beyond standard geographical limitations has allowed us to draw on a more diverse talent pool and employ professionals with regional expertise. We can attract and retain people from all over the UK who share our values and buy into our work ethos,” she said.
