We know it’s increasingly important for everyone to have flexibility in how, where and when they work, to support our wellbeing. Which is why we’ve introduced flexi-working, to support our future sustainability and help us motivate and retain diverse talent, build resilience, productivity and support individual wellbeing.
When you work with us, you can combine home and office-based working, with greater flexibility in your working patterns and locations. This allows you to balance business, colleague and team needs with enough time set aside to come together to collaborate, connect and socialise. At the same time, the flexibility provides support for you and your personal responsibilities and priorities, or just things you love doing outside and around work.
Here are a few ways you may like to work
1. Hybrid, full-time and fully flexible working:
You fix two locations (e.g., home and office), and the number of hours, but agree the specific hours and days in each location periodically
2. Hybrid, full-time and fixed hours:
Your contract would specify the two locations and specific hours per week (either standard or non-standard)
3. Part-time:
You work reduced hours in a day, reduced days in a week or a combination of both, in comparison to the full-time equivalent number of hours for the same role
4. Work permanently from home:
Work from home as part of your normal working pattern either with fixed hours or fully flexible
5. Work permanently from the office or a branch:
Work from the office/branch as part of your normal working pattern
As you can see, flexi-working provides a great opportunity to design a working pattern that suits you. There will always be a few exceptions where certain roles aren’t able to support the full flexibility available, but we welcome the opportunity to talk through your needs in the recruitment process.
Hybrid working guides
Take a read of our hybrid working guides provided to our People Leaders, to lead new ways of working.
‘Flexi-working’ is a framework for colleagues and People Leaders to agree to new ways of working. Flexi-working allows us to combine flexibility of location and flexibility of the pattern of our work in a way that suits us, our role, and our personal life while meeting business needs.
Options include our work location, which may be a combination of office, home, or another agreed work location (such as a client site or flexible office); and our working patterns – the number of days and hours you work in a week.
This reflects our view that a hybrid approach is the way forward for most colleagues: combining working together in person with greater flexibility in working location and patterns:
Some work requires designated work locations, and a number of colleagues may wish to work permanently from the office or home, but the majority are likely to want a combination of the two and the opportunity to work flexibly, but with enough time set aside for people to come together to collaborate, connect and socially network
Some work also requires designated hours, and some colleagues want fixed hours, but most want some degree of flexibility
Flexi-working accommodates flexibility in one or both locations, or working patterns. This improved approach will make it easier for all colleagues to access that flexibility in how, where and when they work and will provide structured support on a sustainable basis.
Who’s eligible for flexible working?
Flexible working options are available to current colleagues
The new full flexi-working approach is being rolled out from 2021 onwards (see below for countries)
Flexible working practices are available in all markets
They’re available to people who are being considered for recruitment as an employee
There is no minimum length of service required to make a flexi-working request
The specific details of your working pattern and the number of days working from home, would be discussed with your People Leader and consideration will also be given based on the needs of your role
Formal options are not available to non-employed workers
There may be some roles where key elements of flexibility are not possible (e.g., for roles that are undertaken in a branch), but we’d like to talk through your preferences in the recruitment process.
Are all roles eligible for flexi-working?
Not all roles will be eligible, since some work requires designated work locations and hours. Whether a role can be done flexibly will always be the starting point of the conversation and we will clearly articulate those roles which require a physical presence in a branch and/or office, and/or fixed hours.
Where can you work?
Locations for flexi-working must be in the same country.
How does flexi-working operate in practice?
People Leaders play a key role in balancing the flexi-working requests and arrangements of their teams with business needs. Alongside the flexibility to structure work in a way that supports colleague needs, there will be times when colleagues working flexibly may be required to attend even where such attendance falls outside the colleague’s normal flexi-working pattern, for example:
Business events or trips
Client meetings
Training (if not using virtual platforms)
Other events as necessary.
Where possible, reasonable notice would be given, to help you manage your commitments. Opportunities for development and promotion will not be affected by working flexibly.
How is a flexi-working arrangement agreed and approved?
Ultimately, your People Leader approves requests. They will consider your individual needs, the needs of your team, your health and safety, and if there are any potential negative impacts on the Bank
Approval for a request would not establish any precedent if you later decided to make a formal flexible working practices application.
Our People Leader Role
Everyone who works here, has a People Leader. Being a People Leader is an important leadership role we have as part of our organisational design. They are there to lead your team, as well as role model our valued behaviours, which shapes our employee experience and our culture. Their role includes:
Leading by example, reinforcing our position towards greater flexibility as an organisation
Having open and inclusive conversations with individuals and teams. It’s key people leaders recognise and treat each colleague as a unique individual with their own needs and aspirations.
