Exclusive: UK recruitment agency, Investigo, has this week begun a trial to give office-based employees the ability to choose a flexible-working pattern, as long as they are available between core hours.
The trial gives employees the option to work for three days in the office between 10am and 4pm, and decide for themselves when they want to make up their working hours by either working remotely earlier in the morning or later in the evening, to allow them to better juggle their other commitments.
Employees can also work another day from home if they choose to.
In autumn 2020, Investigo introduced a discretional half day of leave on a Friday afternoon, which for part-time employees is applied on a pro rata basis. The whole organisation works from home on a Friday morning.
Speaking exclusively to www.employeebenefits.co.uk, Sarah House-Barklie, people and culture director at Investigo, explained that some employees have chosen to use this time to carry out charity work, have a play date with their children, or simply unwind at home.
House-Barklie said that the organisation recognised that balancing work with life is important for performance and wellbeing, and, as everyone has different lifestyles and commitments, it wants to support its staff as much as it can.
The core-hours trial comes on the back of a major health and wellbeing drive, which saw the 240-strong organisation run body, mind and soul sessions at the start of the year to help employees cope with their physical and mental health.
Commenting on this latest initiative, House-Barklie said: “The trial gives people a chance to avoid coming to the office during busier commute times, but to still be available during predicable hours. Staff still have to work their full working week, but now they get more flexibility when they do the rest of it.
“In many ways lockdown helped us, because it has forced us to introduce change. We now have our ‘Investing In You’ benefits booklet, which is part of our new employee value proposition, and all of this led to our virtual benefits week held in January.”
She added: “The business now has its own wellbeing and engagement committee that is run by someone in the business. It’s creating a culture where teams are now looking out for each other and seeing what can be put in place to all better ourselves.”
Investigo has offices in London, Guildford, Milton Keynes, St Albans and New York.