Workforce adaptability | How to achieve workforce flexibility the right way

As the government is urged to ban zero hours contracts by the TUC (Trades Union Congress), Crown Workforce Management’s Flexible Working Consultant Neville Henderson says that a flexible approach can often benefit both the business and the employee.

Here he gives some tips for businesses to avoid the use of zero-hours contracts while still retaining workforce flexibility.

As with many types of insecure employment, zero-hours contracts can be beneficial to some people such as students, it is certainly not the norm. However, it is worth remembering that all forms of flexibility can be of benefit to both workers and employers, and striking the right balance is essential to ensure this is done ethically while meeting the needs of the business.

There may be a short-term benefit to the employee if we tip the balance to increase their freedom to work when and where they like – however if this is tipped too far, this may have detrimental effects to the viability of the business.

Equally, there are currently a large number of workers who receive low pay, have high work flexibility and essentially have little power or voice, and it is this group that needs to be addressed carefully to ensure fairness.