Flexible working benefits highlighted by lockdown

Monday 29 June 2020

More than 800 women responded to a survey about their working lives during the covid-19 lockdown with many saying they would like their employer to embrace flexible working, and to invest in making that flourish, now restrictions have been relaxed.

The Grant Thornton survey was run as part of Wellbeing week which looked at women in the workplace and the impact the lockdown had on them specifically.

A number of guests discussed the survey results on a Podcast - they were; Carey Olsen Partner Elaine Gray, who is President of the Guernsey Chamber of Commerce, her equivalent in Jersey, Jennifer Carnegie, Carly Parrott Director - Opus Private and Grant Thornton’s Human Capital Advisory Director Susie Crowder. 

• The headlines which were discussed through the responses to the survey were:
• Businesses need to embrace flexible working to a much greater extent
• Employees needed to be trusted to work away from their office
• Much more investment needs to be made allowing flexible working to flourish
• An office culture with a 9 to 5 mentality is not part of the new norm

Of the 800 women who responded to the survey, 84% of respondents said their employer had sufficiently supported them during lockdown - but 12.8% felt their employer did not support them sufficiently.

21% of respondents suggested that they had invested as much as 40% of their working day in home-schooling their children, whilst 33% stated they invested up to 50% of their working day.

Pictured: Many parents had to juggle work and school work during the lockdown.

41% of respondents stated that their productivity had diminished during lockdown, 43.5% of respondents claimed that they were not granted special leave during lockdown (annual leave/sabbatical/unpaid leave, etc.) and 51% stated that they suffered with loneliness.

77% of respondents stated that they had suffered with stress, 77% also said they suffered with exhaustion while 70% stated that they suffered with frustration.

89.7% of respondents said they agreed with the following statement, which Grant Thornton had asked those answering the survey to consider:

“The increase in unpaid care and domestic work, job and/or income loss, and the implications of lockdown on mental or physical abuse are among the factors that may be contributing to higher rates of stress and anxiety among women".

Susie Crowder, Director of Human Capital Advisory, said the survey results can be used to give direction to businesses as the island tries to 'build back better'.

"We need a corporate agenda that supports a multi-stage life with multiple entry and exit points at different stages and ages. A greater emphasis on wellbeing and flexible working will play a significant role in building back better."

Pictured top: Susie Crowder.