Flexible Working Training
Practical flexible working training for managers and HR covering requests, fair decision-making, hybrid working, equality considerations and effective flexible working practices.
Practical flexible working training for managers and HR covering requests, fair decision-making, hybrid working, equality considerations and effective flexible working practices.
Flexible working is an established part of modern employment. This practical course helps managers and HR professionals understand flexible working requests, balance individual and organisational needs and create arrangements that are fair, workable and sustainable.
In‑house courses are private sessions delivered exclusively for a group of people from your organisation, on a date that suits you, with the option to tailor the content to your staff and setting.
Open courses are public Equality and Diversity UK training dates that anyone can book onto, ideal when you only need training for one or two people.
Flexible working can help organisations recruit and retain talented people, respond to changing workforce expectations and support employees whose lives do not fit neatly around traditional working patterns.
Flexibility can include changes to hours, working times, working patterns or location. Depending on the organisation and role, this might involve part-time working, compressed hours, job sharing, hybrid or remote working, altered start and finish times or other arrangements.
Effective flexible working does not mean agreeing to every arrangement requested. It means having a fair process, considering requests properly and making decisions based on genuine operational circumstances rather than assumptions.
Flexible working can have an important relationship with equality and inclusion. Employees may seek different working arrangements because of caring responsibilities, disability, health, religion or belief, travel, study or many other aspects of their lives.
Managers should therefore recognise that a flexible working decision can sometimes engage wider equality considerations. A request should not be dismissed because a manager considers one reason for seeking flexibility more worthy than another.
Flexible and hybrid working often require managers to reconsider how performance is assessed. Visibility is not the same as productivity, and employees working remotely should not become disadvantaged simply because they are less physically visible to decision-makers.
Delegates explore how clear objectives, communication, accountability and outcome-focused management can help teams work effectively across different arrangements.
This course is particularly suitable for line managers, supervisors, HR and People professionals, senior leaders, business owners and anyone responsible for considering flexible working requests or managing flexible and hybrid teams.
Balance individual requests with service, staffing and operational requirements.
Maintain communication, inclusion and effective performance across different locations.
Consider requests consistently without relying on stereotypes or personal preferences.
Delegates explore a practical approach to receiving, considering and responding to flexible working requests.
This includes understanding the employee's proposed arrangement, considering potential benefits and difficulties, exploring alternatives where appropriate and communicating the decision clearly.
A request that initially appears difficult may become workable after discussion. Managers are encouraged to explore the practical issues before reaching a conclusion and, where appropriate, consider alternatives rather than treating the first proposal as the only possible option.
Different roles and teams may have different levels of flexibility available to them. Fairness does not necessarily mean that everybody receives an identical working arrangement.
What matters is that decisions can be explained, are based on relevant circumstances and are applied consistently rather than being influenced by favouritism, stereotypes or assumptions about commitment.
Flexible working creates management challenges as well as opportunities. Delegates consider communication, workload, supervision, team cohesion, wellbeing and maintaining access to development and progression.
Particular attention is given to avoiding proximity bias, where employees who are more visible to managers inadvertently receive greater access to information, opportunities or recognition.
Several employees request arrangements that appear difficult to accommodate simultaneously. How should the manager approach the situation fairly?
A remote employee feels excluded from informal communication and development opportunities. What needs to change?
A requested working pattern creates genuine operational concerns. How can the manager explore alternatives and communicate the outcome constructively?
Myth: Flexible working is mainly for parents.
Reality: Employees may seek flexibility for many different reasons.
Myth: Remote employees are less productive.
Reality: Productivity should be assessed through meaningful objectives and outcomes rather than physical visibility.
Myth: Fairness means everyone must have the same arrangement.
Reality: Roles, circumstances and operational requirements differ. Fairness requires consistent and objective decision-making.
Myth: Once flexibility is introduced, it cannot be managed.
Reality: Clear expectations, communication and appropriate review arrangements support sustainable flexible working.
By the end of the course, delegates should be better able to:
All our courses are tailored to ensure the training reflects your organisation's goals, working practices and priorities.
The course can be delivered face-to-face or online via Zoom or Teams.
To support participation, discussion and interaction, we recommend the following group sizes per session:
Need to train a larger workforce? No problem. We regularly work with organisations that need to train larger numbers of employees. Where appropriate, training can be delivered across multiple sessions to ensure everyone receives the same high-quality, interactive learning experience. We can develop a delivery programme to suit your workforce size, locations and timescales.
Please note: the half-day rate is not always available for face-to-face sessions.
Over 25 years' experience delivering equality, diversity and inclusion training, consultancy and professional development.
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