How to make a successful flexible working request
- Review the company’s flexible working policy.
- Determine the type of flexible working request to give.
- Submit a written version of the request.
- Add details of your request in the document.
- Consider the employer’s requirements.
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What are good questions to ask employees about flexible working?
| ☐ | Do I need to grant a flexible working arrangement to this employee as per the Fair Work Act, award, or agreement? |
| ☐ | How appropriate is the flexible work arrangement that has been proposed? |
| ☐ | Has the employee made it clear what they are hoping to seek from this arrangement? |
| ☐ | How long will the arrangement be in place? |
| ☐ | Can work objectives be met another way if the flexible work arrangement is put in place? |
| ☐ | How will the arrangement impact on the current work team and its priorities? |
| ☐ | Does the request require a level of resourcing that can be accommodated? |
| ☐ | How will workload issues be covered – does this present an opportunity to develop other team members? |
| ☐ | Does the employee have face-to-face client contact, and if so, how can this arrangement be considered without disruption to the service provided? |
| ☐ | Will the proposed flexible working arrangement adequately address the employee concerns, and reason for seeking a flexible work arrangement? |
| ☐ | Will the employee’s arrangement impact their participation in important team events? |
| ☐ | Do you have suggestions for alternative arrangements that may suit the employee and the work team if you can’t accommodate their original request? |
| ☐ | Does the arrangement require a contract variation, or can it be accommodated informally? |
| ☐ | How will the arrangement be documented? |
| ☐ | How often will we review this arrangement to ensure it is working? |
What is flexible work strategy?
Why companies should consider adopting flexible work – A flexible work strategy is all about prioritizing employees’ needs instead of insisting they follow rigid rules put in place by the employer. It can take many forms, from allowing remote work to letting employees work compressed hours.
What does flexibility at work look like?
What is workplace flexibility? – Workplace flexibility means providing the conditions for employees to thrive. Workplace flexibility embraces the idea that employees can be productive no matter when or where they perform their work. Rather than enforcing a rigid workplace environment or schedule, workplace flexibility acknowledges individual needs and supports better work-life balance and employee well-being.
Note that this is different from employee flexibility, which typically refers to how adaptable an employee is in the workplace. Workplace flexibility is also different from ‘work-life balance’ which pits work against life – as if work is an antonym to life. Workplace flexibility acknowledges that the two are more intertwined and fluid.
In a flexible workplace, management trusts employees to perform their work in a non-traditional structure, and provides the necessary resources and environment to empower employees to work in this way.
How do you structure a flexible work schedule?
Establish a common work window. That is why a common window schedule is one of the best ways to manage flexible scheduling. Regardless of your employees’ schedules, implement core hours — between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., for example — during the week when everyone is expected to be available.
How do you ask if a job can be hybrid?
The hybrid questions to ask – Leah Lambart, Career and Interview Coach at Relaunch Me, says there’s a right and wrong way to discuss hybrid work in job interviews. “In general, organisations now have to be more flexible than they have in the past to secure quality candidates,” says Lambart.
Lambart suggests asking questions such as ‘How does the company plan to manage the return to the office?’ “This question shows that you are interested in the company, not just your own interests,” says Lambart.Other questions may include, ‘Do most employees work full-time from the office, or is there the option of hybrid working?’
“This question invites the interviewer to tell you a bit more about the company culture and can start a broader conversation about how the hybrid model works in practice at the company,” says Lambart. “If people are already working in a hybrid way, you can then ask if there’s a policy in place and the kind of work that people tend to do from the office.” If you don’t have a clear picture of a company’s hybrid policy, McCartin suggests asking questions that highlight culture and benefits to productivity.
- You could ask how they maintain culture when some people are working from home while others are working in the office,” she says.
- Or talk to them about how your own productivity has improved since you’ve been able to work from home.
- For instance, you could say, ‘I find that I can concentrate on task-based work much better when I’m working from home.
Is your company open to hybrid working?’.” If you don’t get the answer you’re hoping for, Lambart suggests asking for a hybrid working trial to start at the end of your probationary period. “This is a question to raise during a second interview when you feel more confident about securing the role,” she says.
How do you negotiate workload?
We recently completed a study which reveals the most difficult issue for women in the workplace to discuss and successfully resolve is negotiating limits on their workload—it’s also one of the main issues that cause 1 in 5 women to leave their job. We partnered with the top women’s business website, Little PINK Book, on this study which also found that women struggle most to hold high-stakes discussions with other women rather than with men.
Earn the right. Asking for fairness in work limits is easier when you have a reputation as a hard worker. Before raising concerns, evaluate if you are truly doing more than your share. Clarify intent. Don’t start the conversation with complaints—start by establishing mutual purpose with your boss. Begin with, “I have a concern about my workload, but I want to be clear that I care about helping our team succeed. I don’t want to request changes that will make your life harder or put our goals at risk.” Focus on facts. Don’t start with broad conclusions or generalizations that put others on the defensive. Build the case for the point you want to make by sharing objective facts. For example, “I’ve observed that those who do their work get rewarded with more work.” Clarify boundaries. Be clear about any hard and fast limits you have on your workload. If, for example, you have family commitments or personal time values you won’t compromise, lay those out clearly and stick with them. Propose solutions. Don’t just come with complaints—come with recommendations for how to make this work for your boss. If you just dump the problem on your boss, he or she may help you solve it, but you’ll strain the relationship. Invite dialogue. Finally, invite your boss to share his or her viewpoint. People are willing to listen to even challenging views as long as they believe you are also open to theirs.
How do you write a flexible working email?
Dear, I hope this email finds you well. I request a flexible work arrangement for. I would like to propose a.
Can you give me an example of a time that you shown flexibility at work?
Example: ‘I showed flexibility in my accounting position when I had a team member leave suddenly. My manager asked me to take over my colleague’s clients with only a few days’ notice. I stayed late that week, prepping as much information as I could.
What is a fancy word for flexible?
Thesaurus results for FLEXIBLE How does the adjective flexible contrast with its synonyms? Some common synonyms of flexible are,,, and, While all these words mean “able to endure strain without being permanently injured,” flexible applies to something which may or may not be resilient or elastic but which can be bent or folded without breaking.
Where would elastic be a reasonable alternative to flexible ? While in some cases nearly identical to flexible, implies the property of resisting deformation by stretching. When would resilient be a good substitute for flexible ? Although the words and flexible have much in common, resilient implies the ability to recover shape quickly when the deforming force or pressure is removed.
When is it sensible to use springy instead of flexible ? The words and flexible are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, springy stresses both the ease with which something yields to pressure and the quickness of its return to original shape.
Why do employees like flexibility?
Impact Of Covid-19 – Ahren Tiller is the founder and supervising attorney at, He said, “I manage a team of legal staff, and one of the most popular benefits for my employees nowadays is a flexible working arrangement. This can be attributed to the ongoing threat of Covid-19 and the increasing demand for work-life balance, especially by our younger employees.
What is your greatest strength flexibility?
Displaying Job Interview Questions 25-32 – 25. Have you ever had difficulty with a supervisor or instructor? How did you resolve the conflict? Sample excellent response:
Yes, I had an incident with my Spanish professor. I turned in an essay that she said was too good to be mine. I was honest with her; I told her that I had a native speaker review the essay, but he made very few corrections. However, I had broken the Golden Rule of Spanish Composition — the essay must not even touch the hands of a native speaker. To prove to her that I was capable of producing an essay that exceeded her expectations of a non-native speaker, I offered to re-write another essay in her office. I earned an A-minus.
See also this page of our Job Interviewing Tutorial.26. Tell me about a major problem you recently handled. Were you successful in resolving it? Sample excellent response:
While working at K-mart, I was one of three people to work in the electronics department. One day upon arriving at work, I was told the district manager was coming the next day to do a store inspection. The two other people who worked in electronics were both over 55. Neither could lift heavy objects, and one refused to work at all. As a result, the electronics department was usually left to me to keep stocked with product and kept in order. I had about five hours of work time to get the entire department in shape. Those five hours passed, and there was still a substantial amount of work to be done. I asked the store manager if I could stay and work after hours while the overnight stockers were there. He said that because of the employment budget, he could not let me. I was faced with bringing the entire store’s rating down, so I suggested a creative staffing solution, allowing me to work the extra hours while temporarily reducing the hours of the other two members of the department. Because of this solution, in a matter of hours, the department was in tip-top shape — and still under budget. And the results? The electronics department got a score of 95 out of 100.
27. Would you say that you can easily deal with high-pressure situations? Sample excellent response:
Yes. My past experience as an Administrative Coordinator required me to deal with many serious situations since I held emergency on-call duties as a supervisor. One example was when I was called by a Resident Assistant to deal with an attempted suicide on her residence-hall floor. The situation required that I think clearly and quickly in this life-and-death situation. I had to weigh the many tasks that needed to be completed. I had to assign RAs to call 911, make sure that EMS could get into the locked building, while at the same time applying first aid, and ensuring that the rest of the residents on the floor were OK. I also had to make sure the privacy of the resident in need was respected. I basically prioritized and dealt with each task by its importance. I delegated responsibility to RAs for things that they were capable of handling because I could not physically be in many places at once. Once the resident was taken to the hospital, I was responsible for paperwork and follow up to make sure the staff members, residents, and the resident-in-need adjusted back to “normal” life. I know this is an extreme example not found in the financial consulting field; however, it shows just how well I can deal with extreme pressure.
See also this page of our Job Interviewing Tutorial,28. What quality or attribute do you feel will most contribute to your career success? Sample excellent response:
My greatest strength is my flexibility. I have learned that work conditions change from day to day and throughout the day, as well, no matter where I have worked in the past. I also have realized that certain projects require individual attention and others involve a teamwork approach. These are just a few examples of the changes that happen in the financial-consulting field, as you are well aware. My flexibility to adapt to the demands of the job has allowed me to surpass my supervisor’s expectations.
See also this page of our Job Interviewing Tutorial.29. What personal weakness has caused you the greatest difficulty in school or on the job? Sample excellent response (shows how he recognized his weakness and worked to improve):
My greatest weakness used to be delegation. To improve my workers’ efficiency, I would take it upon myself to do many small projects throughout my shift as a manager that could have been done by others. Once I realized that I was doing more work than the other assistant managers, and they were achieving better results, I reevaluated what I was doing. I quickly realized that if I assigned each person just one small project at the beginning of the shift, clearly state expectations for the project, and then follow up, everything would get done, and I could manage much more efficiently and actually accomplish much more.
See also this page of our Job Interviewing Tutorial.30. What were your reasons for selecting your college or university? Sample excellent response (tells how education specifically will benefit the employer):
My college has always had a reputation as having an excellent accounting department, so I knew that if I enrolled there, I would achieve first-class preparation for my chosen career field. It is also a highly accredited school known for satisfying employers with the preparation of its graduates — that’s why companies like yours recruit at my school — the school produces top graduates. The school offers an excellent liberal-arts background, which research shows equips graduates with numerous qualities, such as versatility and strong critical-thinking skills. Finally, having visited the campus before enrolling, I knew that the business school emphasized group projects. During my four years in the school, I participated in more than 35 group projects, which taught me invaluable teamwork, communication, and interpersonal skills.
See also this page of our Job Interviewing Tutorial.31. If you could change or improve anything about your college, what would it be? Sample excellent response:
My major department had a wonderful internship program, and I completed three valuable internships with my department’s guidance. Some other departments in the business school don’t have internship programs that are as strong as my department’s. I’d like to see all the departments have strong internship programs so all my school’s business grads would have the same opportunities that I had.
See also this page of our Job Interviewing Tutorial.32. How will the academic program and coursework you’ve taken benefit your career? Sample excellent response (response is very specific to the job he is interviewing for):
As you will note on my resume, I’ve taken not only the required core classes for the finance field, I’ve also gone above and beyond by double majoring in accounting. I doubled majored since I knew that the financial-consulting field requires much knowledge of portfolio analysis and understanding of the tax laws. I believe that my success in both areas of study have specifically prepared me for this career. But it’s not just taking the classes in these two areas that allows me to offer Merrill Lynch clients more. I minored in Spanish to understand the growing hispanic clientele in the Central Florida area, which as you are well aware is a growing source of revenue for the industry. If you like, I can elaborate on other aspects of my education further.
See also this page of our Job Interviewing Tutorial, Questions 1-8 Questions 9-16 Questions 17-24 Questions 25-32 Questions 33-40 Questions 41-48 Questions 49-56 Questions 57-64 Questions 65-72 Questions 73-80 Questions 81-88 Questions 89-96 Questions 97-104 Questions 105-112 Questions 113-120 Questions 121-128 Questions 129-136 Questions 137-144 Questions 145-150
What is an example sentence for flexible working hours?
Random good picture Not show 1. Employees said they would prefer more flexible working hours,2. Many mothers prefer flexible working hours,3. Flexible working hours could give working parents more time to spend with their children.4. Any abuse of the Flexible Working Hours facility can result in its withdrawal, in addition to any disciplinary action which may be taken.5.
- Unions would like more flexible working hours to replace the nine-to-five(http://sentencedict.com/flexible working hours.html), forty hour week.6.
- Can meet flexible working hours,7.
- More could be done to encourage flexible working hours and spread the traffic load.8.
- The decision to introduce job sharing grew out of a general desire for flexible working hours,9.
An outside problem can sometimes be helped by, say, more flexible working hours and so be resolved at management level.10. Flexible Hours Question: Has consideration been given to the introduction of flexible working hours ? 11. Temporary hire of employment which belongs to non – regular employment with flexible working hours and payment.12.
What is an example of flexible working?
8. Annual hours – Annual hours involve setting a total number of hours that need to be reached yearly rather than a fixed number of hours per week or month. Team members have more control over when they work. The only rule is to meet the required number of hours by the end of the year.
This can be useful for people who want to work more during busy periods and take time off during slower periods. Offering flexibility in terms of time can be a powerful tool for employers to attract and retain top talent. Flexitime and staggered hours, compressed hours, part-time jobs, unlimited time off, and annual hours are all examples of flexibility at work related to time.
By offering different options, companies can accommodate the needs and preferences of their staff and create a positive work environment that fosters productivity and employee satisfaction,
How do you write a flexible working email?
Dear, I hope this email finds you well. I request a flexible work arrangement for. I would like to propose a.
How do you say you have flexible availability?
Example Answer #4 – I’m flexible and available just about any time you need me to work. I am simply looking forward to joining the team and helping whenever I am most needed. Why It Works: You could use this answer, or something similar, with full-time, part-time, or shift work. Be aware that you are signaling to the interviewer that you are ready and willing to work whenever you are needed.
