How Flexible Working Can Benefit Your School Posted on 4 September 2024 by Ashleigh Kent-Teach in Career | General | Schools | Wellbeing The working landscape has changed dramatically since the 2019 pandemic with many jobs now working flexibly and/or remotely. But what about education? How can the teaching profession keep up with these modern day practices?In April 2024, rules surrounding flexible working requests changed to make requesting flexible working from your place of work more easily accessible for all – including those in education. “As of 6 April 2024 employees can make a statutory request to make permanent changes to their contract from their first day of employment. This means that from day one, they can ask an employer for changes to how long, when and where they work. Employees can now make two requests in any twelve-month period, rather than the previous one request. In addition, you are now required to make a decision on the request within two months of receiving it.Should you feel unable to accept the request, you need to consult with your employee. The changes also mean that your employee no longer has to explain what effect, if any, the flexible working request would have on your organisation and how it could be overcome. As an employer, you must manage these requests in a reasonable manner. You can only reject a request for one of eight business reasons.”This new legislation applies to all employers and many schools have now started implementing flexible working arrangements to support the retention of quality teachers in their schools and to improve the work-life balance of their employees. What is flexible working? What does it look like?There is not just one type of flexible working. There are many different types of flexible working some which may be a long term arrangement, some which may only be needed temporarily. To name a few options: part-time work, job sharing, time-off-in-lieu (TOIL), remote working, staggered hours, flexible job design, phased retirement, co-leadership and many more! This is not an extensive list but are just some of the options available to education staff if they wish to request flexible working arrangements.Why flexible working arrangements might suit youFlexible working refers to a variety of working arrangements that allow employees to have greater control over their working hours and location. This can be beneficial to those who have additional responsibilities, who want to have a better work-life balance or simply because they are required in the moment.There have been many studies done by the Department for Education and the NEU about teacher workload and the working lives of teachers. You can see some of the key findings below: We are not suggesting that flexible working is the answer to all problems but even a slight shift in mindset can support schools in retaining quality teachers and avoiding teacher burnout. Not only will it go a long way to support wellbeing, it will also show staff that they are valued and so is their time. Unlike other jobs where it is easy to start late and make up the hours, teaching and working in school does require a little more planning due to the fact that teachers and teaching staff are responsible for up to 30 young people who cannot just be left unattended. Though it may look a little different than office worker’s flexible working, there is still room for flexibility in the school environment – however it is a two way street.The DfE has committed to promoting flexible working in schools as part of their recruitment and retention strategy. As part of this, in January 2023 research was undertaken to explore the costs and benefits of flexible working arrangements in schools. “The benefits of flexible working were generally seen to outweigh the costs - leaders generally felt that flexible working helped retain good staff and improved teacher wellbeing, which was seen to ultimately lead to better pupil outcomes. Flexible working can help to retain staff and meet recruitment challenges – leaders generally felt that flexible working is positive for staff, improving their work-life balance, reducing burnout, and in turn reducing staff turnover. Indeed, many felt that flexible working would be vital in years to come to help mitigate teachers leaving the profession. ‘There may be a massive recruitment problem – [the] sector needs flexible working to help... it’s all very complicated and not just financial.’ Primary non-academy headteacher “With many schools beginning to embrace flexible working and with the changes in legislation surrounding flexible working requests, it is only a matter of time before this becomes the norm in education. Why not be ahead of the curve? Start implementing strategies now to give back to your hardworking education staff and show that they are valued.To find out more about flexible working and how it can be a functional solution in your school, join our webinar later this month with Antonia Spinks (CEO of Pioneer Educational Trust and FWAMS South East Ambassador) to learn more about how flexible working can be a feasible option for schools in Kent.