every employer will know there is such a thing as regretted unknown, regretted staff turnover. But if you want to keep the good talent, if you want to retain those people, then there's a couple things that we need to look at here particularly as far of work. Life balance is concerned. So what strategies have you got? What is the psychological contract employees tend to have today, particularly the younger generation? How is that different from your generation? If you're an older person, what about ways in which we can engage people get the right measures there? So a few things to think about in terms of retention. So what are those strategies we've got to deal with retention? Well, there are 10 off them. They're listed on page 27 of the workbook on it starts off by saying, Well, OK, we must pay the right sort of salaries for the right sort of people, and I know that many hands are tied when it comes to legal aid work, but with those who have more flexibility needs to recognize what is the appropriate salary for the appropriate job. A lot of information is out there on da is worth getting a handle on. That's the first step, then, to work out what are the most appropriate benefits now. I've benefits for staff, and I do know that different people appreciate different benefits. And some would say, Well, OK, if I get a good good pay, then maybe I get a profit share if I work extra hours, and that made may be an incentive for some people. But I do know in some situations that if you ask, people do want a 10% pay increase you get Oh well, never hand up for that. But when you tell them what that means, 10% of your salary you know Gross's work out 10%. You pay half of that in tax, national insurance and pension contributions, so that 5% on when you know that that could be achieved by working longer hours hitting higher targets. In other words, coming on Saturday morning for that amount per month, 1/12 of that 5% you just calculated you'll realize that the overtime, that sort of benefit maybe just isn't worth it. We won't work life balance, and we find that so often if we get the right salaries. There's different benefits. People will one more time off, one more flexible working, want more help and support. Different people want different things at different stages in their life, and it's important to be flexible in that respect. Make sure that your recruitment approaches air are appropriate so that people are joining the firm, that they believe that they're joining your getting people that you believe you're getting on. Some things we talked about in the last section, of course, are gonna be useful for you, making sure you've got the right job design on the right job description. And I think that's quite important to get the right people the right jobs and that their descriptions are written in terms of the output. They produce it both to produce, not the hours that they're supposed to put in inputs and outputs a different. That's something that we explore in management programs for firms to help them with, making sure that job descriptions are really good and attract the right people. Then when you've got the right people, we've talked in the last section about the rights of a reduction process, obviously, and coupled with that, there is the right learning and development opportunities so people can achieve what they want to achieve and reap the rewards they deserve. We will look a later section about flexible working. How do we implement that? What about remote working? What opportunities are, therefore, that some people can have have that more easily than others? Key issues to look at their. But also we do make sure that there's career progression beyond waiting for their older people being non gender specific, the older people to pass on, retire before somebody can move on. But career progression to more complex matters. Most people will want to have a mortar interesting job within the confines of their abilities. Andi, their confidence to have more interesting work on certainly more satisfying work. Career progression, of course, is so important when it looks at retaining the right talent. And I don't mean just those high flyers, you know, I've had my bookkeeper working for me for a long while, Andi. I know exactly what it is that she wants to progress in her in terms of her career on That's more interesting work within her area of confidence on she has that opportunity. So career progression isn't always to a more senior job. And then to make sure that if you want to retain good staff that get your managers trained, I mean, come on. It's an obvious one data law. It's clearly a good place to start, and that's where I focused. Most of my professional career in the latter years is to help managers be better at managing people. Very rewarding it is to see that when it happens. So there's your retention strategies. There's 10 often there. You've got those written down there, but I think it's worth looking at something called the psychological contract on that is something's been around for a while. It's a view of ourselves as people and as employees, and also the view that we have of others on what others I employers expect promises that buying, Which is why, when I presented the complete Leader model, buying into the sense of purpose is very, very important. Getting that buy in is so fundamental to the psychological contract. I was interviewed at one stage in my early career in marketing to work for soft drinks company that have fizzy, sugary drinks on part way through the interview I think the person, for their time of interviewing May I had applied for the job was offered. No hate. Hunted for the job. I went to the interview part way through us it No, this is not for May. I cannot buy in Teoh to encouraging people to drink more and more off that particular product. Very big brand. A household name may have affected my career, but I couldn't buy into that. Psychological contracts are very important on you. Need to tap into it. So what view do we have of ourselves? What do employees have a view? Well, as an employee, there's an economic understanding that if I do this work, I'm going to get this pay. Is this pay worth what I have to do in order to get it? There is that fundamental economy off the actual contract of employment, but people need a reality check. Eso often employees think they're worth a lot more than they actually are. I certainly think I'm worth farm or than I've ever been paid throughout my career. Of course I would. Why wouldn't I? We often think that were fantastic. People are worth a lot more, but we have to have that grounded reality check from time to time. But what about our self esteem? There are some people who get a great sense of self esteem from their workplace on They'll stay at work because that reinforces their self esteem. Because when they get home, they can tell them, makes car we when working really hard. By that, I mean long hours. But to say to somebody, I've been working really hard for seven hours. They say, Yeah, and so we're gonna have this self esteem buzz that we get from ourselves is our job, and it's an important job. So for there will therefore be that social pressure. In fact, even this evening, as I'm recording this here, I'm we're going out, my wife and I to Sir Prince. For somebody on, we're meeting somebody I know is from South Africa on the sort of social pressure reputation. How's the job going back? How's it really know? So on and so forth, and there was always that sort of situations there. The reputation that is often affected, of course, when people become moms or dads have caring responsibilities. But then, of course, we're saying, well, OK, if my job changes, If I don't get the pay arise, then my reliance on that jobs will be lost. What if I should go to part time? What if I should change my working practice? What if I have other needs outside of work? How is that expressed on that? Changes that contract. On the other hand, what is the other people's view on? What is that? A. Sfar? The employers expectation. Well, in your law firm, there's a professional expectation for the profession as a whole. There's an expectation for the firmas a brand, and there's an expectation on the job holder solving clients problems on so forth. So those expectations are many and varied. Then, of course, career progression. Because you are a senior person, maybe in your firm. Then you must assume, of course, that everyone else wants to follow a career progression to partnership. When I talk to partners about what younger recruits more novices into the profession, they are surprised to find that they do not all want partnership. In fact, today I'm finding probably 25 30% want partnership within a law firm from those relatively newly qualified people, so career progression has changed. Its contract off, mine said, is changing. It's not the same as it used to be when I first started all those years ago. Or, indeed, you or your parents started all those years ago. The career progression options are there. There are a lot of dynamics from the employers expectations about the work group. There's in formalities as well as the formal structures as well. And that affects the way in which people buy into the culture, long hours matchup, culture or the rugby cup culture I've talked about. That is also very important for the work groups point of view, but also the corporate culture, the pinstripe, whatever it might be, the dress codes and so on and so forth that formal aspects will be there as well on then. Finally, of course, we have to recognize that nothing is standing still, think, do change rapidly, so the psychological contract has changed. So let's explore how I see it has changed because there's key characteristics. Stop seven characteristics. What's the focus from employees who came into work maybe 2030 years ago? What's the duration off? 10 years of an employee? What's scope that they're looking for their job principles of guiding employment. What's their output or a more achievement? What's the employer view of responsibility on employees? E view? Well, it has changed because when I first started work all those centuries ago, Mom was looking at job security. Job for life was something I was told to join a good firm. You will be made. That, of course, was my father's experience. He started with a firm after the war, and he stayed there for 40 years until he took his retirement. But today, of course, people are looking mawr not as a job for life, but have I got employability. People hungry for improvement, hungry for informal methods of learning, not just training courses, informal on the job, from the boss training to be employability. The duration had to do with structure because this level to go to the next level. I started as an assistant in marketing. I want to become a brand manager, a senior brand manager, a marketing manager, a marketing director. By the time I was 35 well, I made it when I was 33. Well, bully for me because there was those structures. But today no those structures of flat. People want flexibility. They want to move. They want to look at different things. My scope, therefore, was broad scope in terms of the work I was doing overlooking a lot different angles. But today people saying I got this job, it's got it's got important. I want to get on with that and they will have That may be much more concise. View, if there is a strong word, may be concise view of what their job is about. So I was very much involved in a traditional structure, traditional job with traditional ways of working on so forth bosses, secretaries and so on and so forth. And that was a very traditional view. But now it's all about the client is all about the market, and things have changed. So for May, my aim was loyalty to my employer. But today people erection mawr thinking about where they can add value, and if they don't feel that adding value to your firm, they don't care. They're going at valley somewhere else. And I have to say my own experience having been made redundant from an employer, was that the loyalty thought, you know that's going out the window. Things are changing. So fair pay for fair work on its day's work from his days pay with where the employer responsibility waas but now will valuing high pay for high performance individuals. But that's fine if everybody's are high performance individual. But is that really going to be the case? So employees was to do a good job today. They want to make different employees today are very much about making a difference. Son have very proud to say that the monthly legal aid work that I do with data law is very, very satisfying to work with people who committed to making a difference in these sectors in which they work. So recognizing that's changing retention is becoming evermore important, started with this study by the law society that is demonstrating much lower client starve for attention that used to be many more. People are looking to get up and move on to another job, so staff retention is becoming more than more difficult, which is why I have explored something called engaging Multiply. COPD Jardins du personal development have and the median employee turn around 16% in any given year. What 16%. Well, it's less than one in 5 16% Okay, but hang on a minute. 16% a year. Over five years. 80% of your staff will no longer be there. So I don't Which year we are on now when you're looking at this. But you know, the next five years, 80% your staff may have come and gone. Some may not even stay five years. So a rapid. And that's the median on. I've worked with firms looking at high turnover of staff to see how they can improve in the best workplaces do bring that down significantly. Now that's very, very important. So what is your talent? Management strategy is not recruitment and retention is talent management strategy because we know that workplaces stress by all the sorts of problems with work. Life balance does equal poor performance and does staff turnover on with staff. Turnover comes a number of key things the knowledge loss, the informal knowledge that people gain as well. It's a technical knowledge gained through training courses is absolutely crucial and you lose it. When anybody leaves. It will take time as well as money to replace somebody who is good performer within the job. So we're reducing stress. We're improving performance. If we're it got better in performance. What are we doing to retain people? Because highly engaged business units, according to studies that I've been working with, increase their employee retention by 50%. In other words, those better places have a much, much lower turnover staff. Big reduction in stress related absenteeism on much higher increase in productivity. We looked at that on this program. So first thing you gotta do is to say, Well, okay, is there a problem when I must find out? You must take the lid off and have a look. You got a brave enough to actually find out whether there's a problem measure engagement, and once you've done that, you can then decide. What must I deal with? Where must I deal with it? What interventions are there that's important, how you do it entirely up to you. There is an option that I'm happy to talk to you about. If you want to have a look at W. L. A W staff engagement and find out about that, I've got any a a staff engagement interview that I conducted with somebody at a little conference recently that's reproduced in the workbook on page 29 4 years. Enough said, This is just a short section to deal with situations where there's been changes in the organization changing people off that organization on. Do you try to redeploy people rather than the vertical was? Let people go, Let's face it. In the legal sector, over the years, there have been changes wrought by external factors. So, for example, convincing departments have in the past closed or reduced in number quite a bit as there was a change in the market on. Then, when the market became more buoyant, there were re recruiting people. So what we're trying to do with redeployment is to redeploy people on not but have the burden of cost of redundancies and then the cost of re recruiting on also the impact it can have on people to manage that on. Also, of course, the people that remained because if you're in a family department and you see the conveyancing department disappear, you just thinking, Oh my gosh, online next, So a lot of things to think about in the wider context of your staff. Andi, managing that in terms of their changing work life situation. So we're gonna look at change, going to get it ill health on duh the transfer of undertakings protection, employment regulations if there's a merger or acquisition. So let's get on with this managing change. What we trying to do here? Well, it's trying to find alternative employment for an individual who has been replaced because off the organization change wrought by external factors. For example, maybe by modernization, where on we talk a lot about artificial intelligence occurring in the legal sector and lots of processes that may be managed automatically rather having people to drive them, for example, on dealing with people who suffer early ill health. Onda. Helping them get that life work balance. Maintain some form of employment, putting on the state of their ill health. Displaced therefore means that there's no need for what's called a substantive posts. So ah, Fiona would clearly qualify as being substantive. One of your junior admin assistants may not be considered as a substantive post, but it's a matter of discretions Teoh how that term is used, but clearly Fiona's would clearly qualifiers substantive, and it may be that the particular skills of that individual experience off the post holder is no longer required because an example I gave the conveyancing market has dropped in your area. Or in fact, a suggested somebody becomes unable to take the duties off that post because they have particular illnesses. So that's where we're looking forward definition off displacement. So let's have a look at the way in which we think about order off redeploying. What will we do? Well, maybe there's a change in product or service, which affects the employment circumstances. So in that situation where we just find train people up to do other jobs and plenty of jobs need to be done on displacement, therefore may come. Second order of looking at the occurrence of these things may be result of ill health and then for capability and resolution of grievance or disciplinary matters. And the envoy Vince off dealing with mergers and acquisitions, that transfer of undertakings. So what we're going to do with ill health? How is these sort of things gonna be handled? Well, first thing to do if somebody is suffering your health and thank goodness that mental health is being considered a lot more is to make sure that somebody gets the time to seek metal medical health or they could be directed to the right person to get that help and support that it may be. Larger organisations clearly can afford to have more resources available for staff. Smaller organizations should be able to pinpoint or direct people to their local community to provide the sort of help that's needed. And that's fairly straightforward, obvious thing. But when it comes to looking at the medical advice and what people can do or can't do on one finds a job more suited to somebody situation, then they need to be seen collaboration than the employees can't unreasonably refuse a particular opportunity to go for retraining on move to another area. So if somebody is a, um, uh, solicitor in conveyancing, they can't reasonably refuse the opportunity to brush up their wills. And probate moved to that area, for example. So that's refusing the opportunity to relearn for another area. If somebody is ill through the course of work, then is only culpability in terms of three organization being responsible for this so stress in the workplace. Managing stress is something that firms need to be very wear off so that people do get the help and support on don't suffer ill health as a consequence, off the stress off the workload. Hence the importance of maintaining work. Life balance, of course. And then, of course, if you are changing on that, say, well, OK, we're closing the department here in one town, and you're moving somebody to a different town to work within the same organization. Then is there any possibility for relocation or helping support with season tickets on trains or whatever? It might be your contribution to fuel costs of getting to him from the new venue for a period of time on those sorts of issues that one needs to have a look at and decide it's not. It's not like Ogden tables off over. Something moves 12 miles, and this is what you must pay them or what have you. But it is necessary that firms look at these things to manage the redeployment people in the most professional way transfer of undertakings. Well, as just mentioned, it's they're not to go through it in great detail informations in the workbook, but just to recognize. And there is a merger acquisition, then it's the rights and obligations relating to employers. Employees in the transfer or the merger of those undertaking with whole visions were part of the business. So if the conveyancing department is then taken over by another firm, for example, then too poor to pay will then come into play. If you saw the first module of this three step program, you'll be aware of my own particular situation when I was a dad that my then boss thought that I would return to a production meeting at four o'clock in the afternoon, that the morning that my second child was on its way. So things have changed. And person, of course, I would say this. Some things change very much for the good, and we want to look at maternity and paternity and see how things have changed. Their what firms could do about these things. What skill sets come back into the workplace when people do take time off for their Children, not just the maternity leave. That period of up to 12 months but longer periods would take a career break. What to do in terribly, mothers gain from being involved in their Children's welfare in economic terms. When it comes back into the workplace on, then what confirms due to establish firmly family friendly policies. So what's maternity paternity about? Well, this is to deal with your child bearing job rearing as well. As adoption on these came in force. As you can see in April 2015. Basically, it gives opportunity for Dad's to B'more involved both before birth and after birth, to look at things this gives Dad's a lot of great benefits. And so, yes, it can certainly help the the health of the mother involved in more involvement with the child, which has obviously benefit for the family unit. Children do better if Dad's arm or involved. It's not my opinion. It's just based on the research. And that's health. Indeed, uh, improves by being involved with the Children on its It's not something that was a generation thing. Let's face it. Come on. I know that my father, having spent six years and Second World War coming back into the family unit, he really was very interested in Children when they could do elementary calculus at the age of about 16 and started playing school sports or whatever. But I think with certainty, my generation very much. I gained a lot from being involved in my Children, particularly in terms off later years. Obviously Mawr dynamics going on there and still maintain that relationship. But if that's all well and good, what happens in practice is that, of course, a lot of dads are unable by virtue of the financial situation to be as involved and therefore to take paternity Lee because there is still the stigma within work. Some workplaces that said Well, if dads are home, they must be handpicked. There must be, you know, it's not a proper matchup seemed to do to be involved in child rearing, but thank goodness setting from my point of view that the world is changing and being a little bit more inclusive in that respect. But you can look easily online to find out what the data is in terms of various working sectors to the degree to which dads do get involved. But I certainly can take more time to get involved. Well, when people are looking after Children taking a career break, as my wife did, she looked, It'll this on DA thought. Well, OK, there's a lot of things that people gain from being involved in child rearing. That is often underestimated because being a woman returner going back into the workplace love Brazil. Well, you've had all this time off. You know, you have been with Children, see your brain's gone motion so on and so forth, gravely insulting, of course, for people in that situation. But let's have a look at the various tasks involved on all their skill sets. Now there will be not only for them the more senior Fiona's in the firm set of skill sets than they already have, anyway. But let's not forget there's a lot of people who do bring up Children but gain the skill sets that are often unrecognised. I think this is may help those employers to actually look at people returning to work, and so hang on a minute. Let's explore whether they gain skill sets they may not otherwise have done, depending on the job in different situations. And I think this has got a nice fresh look and thanks very much to my wife for bringing these things together. She wrote the chapter in that book on recruitment and retaining staff. If you're involved in Children on. A lot of parents, of course, recognize their taxi drivers and their Children. Social life. Going to all these various events is far beyond their own social life. Being a parent of a young person, what's the skill? Sets well, Clearly, if you are able to manage those things, you get lots and lots of time management experience. You're very good at organizing. Become very good planning. And although that sense of every day event, you'll find that those who have Children will find situations when they are obliged to do it on by virtue of having Children where those who don't have Children get aled these skills because they're involved in other things and they therefore well, okay, somebody involved in their local community. They're involved in their worshipping. They're involved in clubs and so on and so forth and get their time mansion organizing and planning through that way. That's absolutely fine. We all do that, but let's not forget that just being at home looking after Children, there is plenty of opportunity for those things to be involved with. Now many people find as I did, I got far more involved with events because of the Children that I might otherwise don't just just to please myself on what does that bring? Well, if you're dealing with events and fund raising charitable work, obviously that's gonna be there. People don't having Children, but very much in terms of budgeting, planning, project management and having been a sports coach for 16 years. I see all these things coming to play in. Lots of people I worked with were really good at this sort of stuff. Yet when they went back to work, nobody took a blind, better notice that that's the sort of thing that they had done. They just assumed that it was all about crayons and pencils and childcare and wiping noses. But there's a lot of stuff going on. Let's not forget that that is going to be happening for the returners. And it's often, of course, women return us to the workplace on through that. Now, whether that's getting involved in Children's committees, Children, events, Children, societies, giving opportunity, that's a lot wider on this does change peoples situations. They're then able to get involved in committees in societies with communication skills, the team managements, games, team building, dealing with conflicts dealing with all those issues on that again. Something to remember when somebody returns. What have you done over the last three years? I brought up my Children. Oh, really? Well, come on. Look at all these things that people doing on as I found myself is that dealing with contract is coming to the home. And when young Children around, there isn't necessarily the same amount of time to do the maintenance on. Therefore, you're trying to deal with contractors who are coming to sort things out. So there's planning, budgeting, cost control, dealing with suppliers, those sorts of skill sets. So okay, how did look at this? I think the message is clear. Let's not ignore those very good people who do do caring, caring for Children, caring for elderly as well when they take career breaks. And I worked with people who've taken career breaks back into the workplace, they're saying, Well, I don't have the confidence to hold down a job. Well, hang on a minute. I don't know if what full time job you've had over a few years looking after Children, but my goodness, it looks like a full time job to May and skill sets that may not necessary have been recognized. But if you can recognize them, you become a much better employer to recognize the value that people gonna bring back into the workplace. Okay, so what do we mean, then? By family friendly policies? What can you do when somebody takes that break through maternity or, indeed, paternity leave? What sorts of things are good practice, if you will, but I think it's very important. Although somebody is away from the office and they're going to be involved with child birth and early early days, early months, child rearing, They maintain contact to make sure that the employer let's face it, 90% of people return in some guise or another to their employer, post maternity or paternity leave, then maintain that contact. Keep people in the loop so they know what's going on. Not necessarily case matter related, of course, if there Fiona, but at least they know what the firm's doing so that they are able to, you know, I have a client newsletter mailed to them or whatever else you're doing so that they maintain that contact very important for both parties. The firm on the employees. I do recognize that, of course, when you have a child and you're very, very busy with looking after that child. But I do meet a lot of people who attend my training courses. You say It's been so good that while Dad's at home uh, looking after that, I'm able to come out and a 10 training courses that I might not otherwise have done because I'm so busy with client matters and work matters. So trading developed. If that person wants to be involved in that, I can do that, then that opportunity, if it's available, is, of course, very powerful because they're not. You're not losing fee earning time when people are on maternity Lee, because they aren't in the office anyway. But if they want to and they can attend to, particularly the data law portfolio of online training, what a great opportunity to give people the chance to keep those keep up to date with what's going on. It is likely that when people return to work because of their new situation, they may look to flexible working so flex working. Of course, those issues become very important in this module, Of course, we'll look at that. It will mean that sometimes somebody wants to, uh, work remotely from home. If they feel that they want to do that and are able to do that, then that opportunity needs to be looked at so flexible and remote work opportunities to look at to have a look at what options there are for child care for flexibility on DSO. Fourth on, depending on the size of the employer and its location, may be able to look at those options to provide some flexibility and then, of course, to recognize, as we're just done in the last section, to talk about the skills that people going to come back to come back with on develop. That may be of benefit to the employee as well as the employees when I suppose working in your pajamas may have its attraction. So let's have a look at flexible working from an employers point of view and also therefore what we can expect to happen in a particular situation. What would might use to make sure that flexible working becomes a success for both parties from the employers position? One must deal with the request in a reasonable manner. We cover this in much detail in the first module on needs to have a look at three things. First of all, to assess the advantage of disadvantage off on employees application for Have flexible working, holding appropriate meeting to discuss it in a formal way, not just a chat over the water cooler in the in the cardo somewhere, and recognize that if the individuals not content with that there is a way of appealing to that to a more senior manager or another partner or whatever. So those are the three steps recover that in March 1, but do recognise if it's not handled in an appropriate manner, the employee can kick off and take the firm to employment tribunal. Not really what you want to do, so preparation is all in the situation here on. If a on application is refused, then there must be a good business case for doing so on. And therefore, having that sort of thing pre prepared is important to immediately as we can see, some positions just don't lend themselves to flexible working. If you've got somebody in reception and you're opening your front doors at a given time, then clearly you need to make sure that somebody is in position at that given time and then strolling in later on that morning two hours later, because there are flexible working really won't help, so some situations don't allow quite so easily. But we've seen most firms. There are opportunities to look at the way in which this flexibility can benefit. Many, many years ago, when I first in industry, I had a very, very good secretary, Christine Ridley on. She was very good because she got a lifting to work with her husband in the morning so she would come to the office, probably top 78 to get on with lots of things in the morning that I left for her because she got a collection four o'clock on, and that left me after the post of gone long before email to prepare things that she would then have ready for me when I got in the following morning. So it's possible long before the legislation was there to enable it to happen. So let's think about what the issues are, what's in it for the employees and what are the business issues to think about here. So I hope this checklist is useful to you on. There are some a few thoughts and ideas in the in the notes on page 34 he said, looking down well, if you have Flex were working, then you can attract and retain talent. It is a very important element of life work balance on. Then people are able to feel a little bit more in control on will give that much more. When they feel in control, it will develop great motivation because people feel that they have. They could listen to by their employer that ableto flex around it. Andi maintain that sort of loyalty, so that's also very important. And therefore productivity can increase because people know well, I have a flexible work. I must like I need to leave at this time. I should get things done before I need to leave because flexible working suggests that somebody has got the moans in their private life that they want to meet and therefore get on and do things before they have to leave. Therefore, those health benefits are many very not just physical health, clearly but also psychological health. And that's a very good thing to focus on because it does reduce stress in a number of different ways, both for the individual, for the employees. Andi. Indeed, when they're in work as well, so that better work life balance is something so many people are looking forward to. Inflexible. Working, I'm pleased to say, can offer great benefits for both sides because it can. Flexible working can reduce commuting costs. People will travel at different times. That's quicker, Maybe because they're outside the busier traffic periods. On some days, they're able to come in cheaper train fares, possibly ah, whole variety of different things. That may be an issue there, so worth thinking about those things. And when people feeling a bit more control, it will reduce absenteeism as well. So people are slaves to the clock. They have that flexibility to do that. But of course, one has to recognize that people aren't just any vertical taking a laugh. It it is important from the employees point of view that they do meet there. Ah, key performance indicators off their job. They're maintaining accessibility for clients. They're maintaining the demands of the workplace. They are working with other people because very few people are entirely in Ireland work. They've got to have the dynamics with other people as well. So although there's lots of benefits from the employees point of view, let's not forget the need from the business point of view. So while it may reduce office costs because people reflects their work and sometimes very closely related, of course to remote working flex the days they work, flex the locations that they work that can have that. But let's explore some of the the impact on business because, uh, if there's a group of people managing a project on that, there's any three out of the four there because somebody is always on flex. Time is never available. They clearly the employee has a responsibility to the team to make sure that he or she is contributing to the team. And it's worked out in that way cause that can be a problem. It can affect communication. Where is she? What we need to tell ill she where she's often. I should not back in until she's left before this particular time. So those communication issues need to be dealt with, which means the I T. Needs to be there to help and support people to maintain that contact with other people, making sure that there are the people there to coordinate. The use of those resources, of course, become very, very important so that the client focus is always there. That should be paramount, but also the rest of the team and get on with their work. So it's a fact that a good three people say, Well, we gotta wait till tomorrow because she's left early. We didn't know what was gonna happen. We can't get this decided. We'll have to wait till tomorrow. She's gone off line and therefore those resources are being used to the best effects. Uh, what can happen with flexible working from the employees point of view? Is it so well, that don't really told me? Well, I have got flexi time and, you know, they all carried out without may. It wasn't fair. So from both sides, it cause that this harmony what happens, of course, when people are working flexibly and not in the office, that those informal communications may not occur. Let's face it, when people got the job to do, they've got their case work to do. They get on and do that. But the dynamics, the informal communications sometimes aren't there. And I know working with different sectors some people that the job demands air out of the office that with clients there doing prison law that they're in court, that's this traffickers when they are in the office. There's a lot of opportunity for informal communications about what happened in court today and so on and so forth. So the anecdotal stories and experiences of being shared it's a learning organization. But too much flexibility sometimes breaks down that that informality off group learning, which of course, is quite an issue. Brakes were working, as I've already mentioned doesn't suit every job because people have to be present to do their job so often. They cannot do it if they're not there. So flexible working will suit so called digital workers quite well because they can flex when they're in touch from when. But I know myself when my Children were young, that I flexed my work time on, found it very easy. Often evening had a meal, they were tucked up in bed. I wasn't gonna get go anywhere that evening and then turning back to work for a couple of hours suited me tremendously. Start early, some days, finish late. Other days on that fitted in very well. I've heard of Matt Ramo, Nial lawyers who say their clients like to have contact with advice outside of their work time on my evening inverted commas, virtual surgeries, private conversations over Skype, private conversations through email and other things gave great opportunity to increased client contact line accessibility, client satisfaction. But then, all those that thought was all right for you. I'm stuck here at this time because I can't work anywhere else. Would be sensitive to that and make sure that you're managing people by what they produce and not managing people because they're just the hours they sit in the office this long hours cultural. We've talked about this present tears and we've talked about is not good for individuals, and it is not good for the firm over. Also, performance management issues, of course, is very important to me. Aware off. So what's my tips for success? Well, here, here's 10. Often you got them listed within the notes on bond. This little chap here has been well known as a social media because he was the success kid on the beach. So what? All those 10 things were very quickly, as you can see on there, what's in it for the employer? What's in it for the employees, And is that mutuality going to be there? Flexible working requires flexibility. From the point of view off the employer set guidelines. I have had situations where somebody got a little bit of flexibility on. Then they found a reason not to enjoy that. They wanted a bit more flexibility, and I flexed up it, and then they wanted a bit more flexibility on. Eventually it was just running into chaos. Andi, I hadn't got the clear guidelines. So if people are looking at flexibility, you may say right core hours 10 to 4, for example. Yes, you can come in early, but you can't leave before four o'clock so that anybody inside the firm knows they can order. Three got meeting and we were gonna be there. Okay, so there is a core hours and then people could flex in that way. Plan the flexibility. My part time bookkeeper, she worked 16 hours a week on provided that was in four hour chunks. So she could do two full days, 4/2 days provided. I knew a week or two in advance when she was in life was happy, and she kept her fairly regular routine. Is it happened on each Monday? She would tell me what she planned to do the following week, and it was so good, so easy to manage, although she did seem to be in the office when I wasn't so that probably was something going on there, but she was very, very good with that flexibility. So listen to staff. Listen to clients, see what's going on, and this flexibility can given a mention. Matrimonial. Some clients who have got full time jobs and not able to spend time on the phone talking to their legal advice on being able to do that at a different our is very, very handy. I happen to be an early bird now. I'm more than happy to start work early. I was in the office this morning. How far? Seven. As it happens, which hasn't been close. It is a bit on the chilly side, but what's wrong with that? Nothing problem. It'll so flex it. Think outside the box ways of working to think about. It's not just everybody in the office. Anyone Time on I've known, mentioned a conveyancing firm that had access to clients from seven AM to seven PM on the front door. Office hours or Web page office hours. UM, 9 to 5 30 Clients knew that, but assumes they were engaged in. They wanted a little bit of flexibility. They could get that the I T must be there to support it. Look at the specialist advice on the theme I t In the cyber in protection and so forth Need Specialist Nice. Before that start modestly starts more before opening it much, much wider on always make sure key tip. Their number 10 on my list is measure people by what they're producing, not by the inputs off how long they spend in the office, and that is good health on good practice.
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