How will flexible working affect the charity sector over the next decade?

Tech advances have made flexible working attractive to charity employees and, as recent events such as the coronavirus outbreak have highlighted, a practical reality for business continuity plans. For charity digital leaders thinking to implement or enhance plans, mobilisation of your workforce can come with many advantages.

Flexible working attracts more talent

“Quality flexible working can help organisations attract talent, improve employee job satisfaction and loyalty, reduce absenteeism, and improve well-being; it can also make businesses more responsive to change,” according to the professional body the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

Charity digital leaders thinking of taking up flexible working in practice have many options, but understanding the basics is key. Flexible working arrangements come in a range of different forms, but in general, means employees don’t necessarily work standard hours. For many charities, flexible working can mean early or later start and finish times; working from home; part-time hours; working in shared spaces; logging on during holidays or weekends; and job shares. Empowerment is fundamental – allowing staff to manage their own work/life balance.

There is a growing body of evidence supporting the benefits that flexible working can bring to charities. Nicknamed the ‘Nudge Unit’, the UK Cabinet Office Behavioural Insight Team’s research concluded that flexible working can improve gender equality in the workplace by levelling the playing field – women, empowered to work when they are able, can juggle family obligations. The relationship isn’t one-sided either – charities can also benefit.

"There are also clear benefits to employers - offering flexible working to employees creates a stronger, loyal and more diverse workforce, which pays dividends," said Ella Smillie, Head of Policy and Campaigns for the Fawcett Society, a London-based equality charity.

Charity tech for working from elsewhere

Calls for flexible working policies in the charitable sector and beyond will only get louder in the future, given the benefits to both staff and charity employers. Tech advances can help leaders implement policies at relatively low-cost:

• Cloud-based storage options – Coming as no surprise, internet-accessible cloud storage platforms can help employees work remotely. For small charities without full-blown IT architecture, some of the best options include Microsoft OneDrive, which from £3.80 comes with 1TB of storage, accessible from anywhere with the correct login details.
• Mobile meetings – Some of the best plug-and-play software for meetings are free. Zoom, Skype and FaceTime all offer free ‘meeting’ software for charities. Zoom’s basic subscription is free of charge, which makes it even more attractive to charities looking at budgeting. Additional functionality like screen sharing is also available with a subscription.
• Operational software – Key processes now can also be run online. Accounting software provider Xero offers free trials for charities with subscriptions from £5 per month. Web-accessible HR management system like HiBob can help charity HR leaders manage people. For managers, team tracking online platform Clockify helps divisions manage their time and projects from the web-based platform.