There is nothing flexible about flexible working

There is nothing flexible about a part-time, WFH or hybrid work arrangement. Flexible working when discussed in this way is a misnomer, as they are merely non-standardised work arrangements. You could also add that as soon as a work arrangement is written down in policy, then it is no longer flexible either. It’s just how you work. If you need to change how you work again, then another request has to go in, or you may be limited to one request per year. The only way to offer true flexibility is to remove the time and location components of how we work and switch to an outcome-focused measurable. This allows people to break their earning ceilings and gives employers greater financial flexibility as they can remove a whole host of fixed costs, without making redundancies.

Pay someone for an hour, and they'll give you an hour. Pay someone for a job, and they'll do that same job in 35 minutes. A four-day working week just leads to four days of clock-watching rather than five. Truly flexible working is knowing you can knock off as soon as the work's done. All of my team are on outcome-based contracts. I don't want 40 hours a week out of them. I want results. If they can achieve those results in half the time, they're free to go home, play golf, spend time with their family or just slack off.

I have long contended that when many talk about flexible working they are using a 2d perspective in a 3d world. The focus is still on set hours worked rather than task- or result-based outcomes, because it is the status quo. If we truly wish to increase productivity in the UK then change is not only a nice to have but a must-have for many sectors. The reality is that many jobs involve production in some form or other, be it a piece of written/electronic work as in law, or a physical product in the case of textiles/clothing or manufacturing. The important part is getting the production completed in order to receive payment. If a workplace relies on set hours, one of two things happens: either those hours are insufficient to get the production completed, or you have staff trying to fill in time or drag tasks out.

Flexible working requires trust between employees and their managers. Where trust is lacking, employees are more likely to overwork to 'prove' they are working, or the opposite, to withdraw from work tasks or hide their struggles. Managers who don't trust employees are increasingly likely to resort to micro-managing, further undermining trust and autonomy. This can lead to burnout and negatively affect performance. Outcome-based working provides part of the solution. With greater trust and autonomy comes improved work engagement and reduced burnout. Working to outcomes allows employees to develop adaptability and resilience to changing work demands, to manage their own time and take breaks when they need. Also, with less time overseeing work, managers are more available to offer genuine support and guidance.

I believe outcome-based work should become the norm. As an animation producer, it makes perfect sense to map out deliverables for a project per team member. I've applied the principle to my business, Buttercup Learning. Everyone I work with has truly flexible work contracts but with clear delivery deadlines. Giving employees and freelancers trust leads to better outcomes and ownership. Lack of project management and role management is what causes stress. If everyone knows what they and each of the other team members are due to deliver, there is clarity. When CEOs share what they are doing and why with their employees, then everyone understands that their actions are intended to move the business forward. Small businesses need to be outcome-focused to survive. Every activity an individual takes in a company needs to be a positive step.