Flexible working
The Working Hours Regulations
Pressure, deadlines, schedules... a little stress is good in our creative industries and keeps everyone sharp and on their toes. But working long hours can affect creativity and productivity and - ultimately - health.
You have a duty to your employees under the Working Hours Regulations, which cover hours worked, holiday periods and rest breaks. No one should be employed for longer than 48 hours in any one week, and the limits are lower for younger people.
These organisations can help you understand exactly what hours, rest breaks and rest periods you must offer your employees:
- Hours, rest breaks and the working week (Business Link)
- Working Time Regulations (ACAS) (telephone helpline on 05457 47 47 47)
- Your guide to the Working Time Regulations (Department of Trade and Industry, DTI - now BERR)
Flexible working
The nine-to-five has become the 24/7. People are exploring different ways of working so they are happy and productive both at work and at home.
Since 2003, parents of children under six or of disabled children aged under 18 have had the right to apply to work flexibly – and employers have a duty to consider and act on these requests.
Job-sharing is just one way to offer flexible working and helps you to retain talented people who might otherwise leave the industry. Each job sharer contributes a different set of skills, experience and knowledge. As a result, employers who employ job sharers often say ‘the whole is greater than the sum of its parts'.
One flexible working initiative that has proved a great success is TimeShift which offered film professionals the opportunity to share their role in production. TimeShift was funded by Equal, Skillset and the UK Film Council.
Here are some resources to help you find out more about the benefits of flexible working – and how to put it into practice:
- Benefits of flexible working (Business Link) – how to implement flexible working and the benefits it can bring to your business
- Flexible working (ACAS) – practical options for flexible working and the basic steps that employers need to take
- Flexible working: the right to request and the duty to consider (DTI now BERR) – a range of template forms for employers
- Flexibility – an online magazine with case studies and discussion of all the issues
