Employees now enjoy an improved
work balance, averaging a 40-hour week. Planned
shift patterns enable them to organise their
free time well in advance and one week in eight
is given as holiday. As a result, managers have
seen a 15% rise in productivity while paying a
5% lower salary bill. Staff are more motivated
and there is universal acceptance of the scheme.
Bailey Telecom is now also set to weather
whatever new employment regulations come into
place in the future.
Essential cover has been not
just maintained but boosted at the customer site
and Bailey Telecom can use Annual Hours as a
unique part of their sales proposition to help
them instil confidence and secure more
contracts.
"Our people used to have to work long hours
at very short notice, without proper time
off. Now they enjoy a good work-life balance
and know well in advance when they’re
rostered to work. I would whole heartedly
recommend Annual Hours to any business with
an unpredictable work-flow, high overtime
rates or to anyone wishing to become a model
employer. It offers the twin benefits
of improved productivity and a much happier,
more motivated workforce."
Neil Lancaster, HR Director, Bailey Telecom
Philip Lynch consultants
suggested an Annual Hours regime, by which
employees work fewer hours over the year, but at
more flexible times. Following analysis of
demand cycles they drew up a suggested employee
deployment model for the Bailey Telecom team,
which ensured that required cover was provided
without relying on overtime and also handled
negotiations with employees, ensuring compliance
with union rules and helping to draw up new
contracts.
After initial employee
reservations, the new flexible working regime is
now extremely popular. Staff work a less
stressful 40-hour week, with changing shift
patterns planned-out well in advance and one
week in eight given as leisure time or holiday.
Added to that, Neil Lancaster is
convinced that the new Annual Hours regime will
help Bailey Telecom achieve higher staff
retention levels. He sums up:
"When you consider all the cost-saving and
productivity benefits together, the system will
soon have paid for itself."
The measure of efficiency that
Bailey Telecom use is staff hours worked against
the number of jobs completed for pre-set
response priority levels - inside or extra to
the contract. This measure shows a 15%
improvement since the introduction of the Annual
Hours scheme – overall a very significant gain
in productivity.
"Both individuals and the company as a whole are
now working more productively and effectively."
according to Paul Roberts, Bailey Telecom’s
Account Manager at the bank.
"What more can I say? Flexible working really
works!"
The consultancy work referred to in this case
study was carried out by Philip Lynch and Ken
Beaumont when Partners in Philip Lynch Working
Time Consultants in 2002.
