COVER STORY MAY 2019
Try to be aware of how it makes employees feel
when they arrive at work on a Monday to see
a load of emails from the boss from the night
before. If they see an email from their manager
that was sent at 11pm, they will start feeling like
they need to do the same. That anxiety will start
to weigh on them and affect their performance.”
Technology – help or hinderance?
We have already touched on the ‘always-on’
nature of work today. No business will be
successful without the use of smartphones,
laptops and tablets. However, for many, this
provides an added distraction. “The topic of
technology and work can be very polarising,”
says Rob Hiron, account director at Kronos.
“Some feel that technology has advanced their
sector by aiding in the menial and administrative
tasks that used to be done by humans.
“Some, however, feel that the opposite is the
case, and that technology is actually causing
productivity to fall.”
Lightfoot says that whether or not technology
is a distraction boils down to attitude. “During
working hours, I have push notifications for
emails turned on, so I can see them as they come
in,” he says. “Once I get home, they are turned
off, so my phone doesn’t buzz away and I’m
not compelled to look at it. That’s not to say I
never check my emails at home, once the kids
have gone to bed, but having the discipline to
not spend all evening on them is important. In
leadership roles, it’s often very difficult to ever
fully switch off, though. There’s always a sense
you could – and should – be doing more.”
Is 9-5 still the best way to make a living?
One answer to striking a balance may be to take a
flexible approach to working. This is different to
shift work (see box, right), which can often bring
about uncertainty and stress, and instead aims
to maximise each employee’s most time at work.
“In leadership roles in particular, we’re seeing a
move towards effective working at times outside
the traditional 9-5,” says Lightfoot. “People work
better at different times of day, and companies are
starting to realise this. The ability to clock in and
out flexibly, as long as you’re hitting your outputs,
is changing the way we all work.”
BEIS warns on holiday pay confusion
A key part of striking a work/life balance is knowing you will be paid correctly for
your time off. The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS)
recently ran a campaign looking at employees’ perception of holiday pay. Every
worker is legally entitled to paid time off for every hour they work, whether
they work full-time, part-time, shifts or irregular hours. It’s hugely important for
workers to know their holiday pay rights, check they’re getting paid the right
amount and, if not, to speak to their employers. This is a serious issue: a recent
poll conducted on behalf of BEIS found 52% of people incorrectly thought they
had to work for three months before being entitled to holiday pay.
Workers can visit www.gov.uk/holidaypay for comprehensive guidance on
calculating holiday pay. This includes online guidance that will specifically help
workers with atypical working patterns (part-time, shifts or irregular working
hours) and their employers to understand their rights – those most at risk of
missing out on paid leave. It’s an employer’s legal obligation to ensure staff are
receiving the correct amount in holiday pay. Employees also have the right not to
suffer any detriment for exercising their right to receive their holiday entitlement.
The keys to work-life balance also include the ability to work flexibly and the
ability to take leave at particular times in your life. To assist with this, all employees
with 26 weeks’ continuous service with their employer (around 90% of all UK
workers) have the right to request flexible working.
The government has also announced it will also consider creating a duty for
employers to consider whether a job can be done flexibly and make that clear
when advertising. To help realise the potential in the labour market, BEIS has set
up a Flexible Working Taskforce to work with business to make flexible working a
reality for all employees across Britain.
In December 2018, the government published the Good Work Plan, which
commits to a wide range of policy and legislative changes to ensure workers can
access fair and decent work, that both employers and workers have the clarity
they need to understand their employment relationships, and the enforcement
system is fair and fit for purpose.
Employees at AE Aerospace are not
expected to answer out-of-hours emails
20 www.manufacturingmanagement.co.uk
/holidaypay
/www.manufacturingmanagement.co.uk