Is flexibility the key for staff retention?

The education sector is facing an extensive recruitment and retention challenge; will flexible working be the key to retaining staff for longer?

Flexible working allows employees to vary the amount, timing and location of their work. Examples include:

• Part-time working: where an employee works fewer than full-time hours.
• Job sharing: two or more employees cover a job by splitting the hours.
• Phased retirement: an employee gradually reduces their hours and responsibilities in order to transition into full-time retirement.
• Staggered hours: with different start, finish and break times.
• Compressed hours: working full time hours over fewer days.
• Annualised hours: working hours spread across the year to suit the employee.
• Home or remote working: where the employee carries out work offsite.

Creating a flexible working culture is a great approach that schools can use to mitigate the extensive recruitment and retention challenge faced by the education sector. For SBLs who are looking to implement flexible working, there are a range of factors they should consider. 

1.    Cost – some flexible arrangements will be costly, but the money saved by improved staff recruitment can offset the costs. 

2.    Pupil performance – if you are worried flexible working will have an impact on pupil performance, you can:

• allow sufficient handover time for job share partners;
• ensure continuity of other employees such as support staff;
• speak to other schools that have successfully implemented flexible working.



3.    Timetabling – if you predict that flexible working will create a high risk of timetabling challenges, you can:

• ask employees to submit requests by a particular date, to ensure there is sufficient time to plan the timetable;
• encourage staff to show flexibility when making a flexible working request, as it may not be possible for requests to be met in every case; 
• use effective timetabling tools to help manage flexible working requests.

4.    Capacity for flexibility in leadership roles – some senior leadership roles may be considered too demanding for part time or flexible hours – but this may not be the case in reality. If you are concerned about one of your senior leaders, consider the following:

• how workload could be managed for employees wishing to work in a leadership role part-time, as this can help to retain experienced staff;
• using a job share arrangement to redistributing the role.



5.    Team performance – if you are concerned that your team performance will suffer as a result of flexible working, consider:

• redesigning the employees’ job description to ensure the scope fits the hours worked;
• trialling flexible working arrangements and adapting these where necessary.

Make it easy

SBLs should consider how they are managing flexible working for their staff by putting in place appropriate measures to make the process of applying for flexible working as easy as possible. Openly discuss the school’s flexible working policies and processes with your staff. Defining what constitutes a reason for flexible working will help staff know when they can request it and when it may not be possible. Reasons for flexible working can include:

• caring for a dependant;
• volunteering;
• studying;
• finishing early for school pick ups.

However, flexible working requests need to be balanced balance with the needs of the school. If the request is not the best decision for the teacher, their career or the school then it is acceptable to say no.



Make it clear to staff that you are open to flexible working when you are recruiting in order to widen the pool of applicants for roles, diversify your workforce and increase staff satisfaction and retention. Make the process of requesting flexible working as simple as possible, and ensure that you questions which will give you all the information you need to decide whether it can be approved – for example:

• What working patterns would you like?
• Why do you want to work flexibly?
• How does you request fit into the existing school structure?

 If you are concerned that parents may not support flexible working, you can ensure you are being transparenct by communicating why you are implementing it. For example, it allows the school to retain experienced staff and recruit from a larger pool of applicants. Keep parents updated on the flexible working plan at your school and ensure they know that working arrangements will be adapted to meet the needs of the school and pupils first and foremost.