The Simple Solution to Revamp your Return-to-Work Strategy

Enhance Return-to-Work Appeal with Support for Working Families  

Of the many cultural shifts triggered by Covid-19, it’s our approach to work that has been the most profound. After adapting to the remote model and benefitting from a boost in work/life balance, many workers now feel reluctant to return to tiring commutes and less time spent with their loved ones.   

They quickly realised that their jobs could be done from home – and done well. Why, then, would they want to give up the freedom and flexibility of home working once they were aware of the many benefits it could bring? Instead, employees began to hold their own needs in higher regard, and rather than focusing on what they could bring to a business, they started to ask themselves “what’s in it for me?”   

While 40% of UK adults continued to spend at least part of their working week at home from the start of 2023, 90% of companies are set to return to the office by 2024. Alarmingly, 28% will threaten to fire staff who don’t comply with their return-to-work policies.   

However, with 71% of people considering flexible working to be an important factor when considering a new role – and with 4 million people leaving their jobs in 2023 due to lack of flexibility - it’s clear that employers should be promoting work/life balance as part of their recruitment and retention strategies.   

But flexibility doesn’t just enable you to attract a greater, more diverse pool of talent to your business. It can also help to create a workforce who are more engaged, motivated, productive, and present:   

• 87% of people want to work flexibly     
• Flexible working can help boost revenue by 43% and productivity by 20%    
• Turnover can be slashed by 87% through flexible working opportunities    
• 9 in 10 employees consider flexible working to be a key motivator to workplace productivity     

The Challenges of Flexible Working   

Now that we’ve discussed the benefits of offering flexible working, let’s look at the challenges.   

Vacant workspace in the UK has risen by 65% over the last three years, and many managers want to revive these spaces by encouraging the in-person interactions that inspire creativity. They believe that collaboration of this kind helps to drive motivation and productivity, and fear that the same results might not be achieved through remote communication.    

To attract and retain talent in an age when employee needs are changing, it’s important to offer meaningful incentives that make in-person roles more desirable. With some parents spending up to 80% of their take-home pay on childcare, and some households struggling to secure mortgages due to high childcare costs, offering support for working families is an area well worth investment.

Discover Solutions for Your People’s Family Care Needs   

Family Care   

Our Family Care benefit connects your staff to all forms of care from one convenient location. This helps them choose the care they need, when they need it, from a wide range of trusted providers.   

The benefit works by enabling you to provide a care budget that employees can expense back against once care is booked. Your people can search for local care providers - or opt to use friends and family to deliver care - and still claim back any expenses.  

We also partner with experts in early years care, behaviour, neurodiversity, and more to help employees access a range of emotional care support. For eldercare, there’s support around sourcing and securing both short and long-term care arrangements, financial funding, and legal advice. For pet parents, we have a 24/7 video vet, pet welfare, and behaviour specialists. This helps you provide an inclusive support package for your staff – regardless of their life stage or family dynamic.    

Family Pay   

With our Family Pay benefit, you can help your workforce manage their childcare costs while saving on National Insurance and pension contributions. Employees can use the platform to access a wide range of childcare providers across the UK, including their preferred providers, and spread the cost via monthly reductions made straight from their salary.     

When offered as one comprehensive solution, both benefits help to create a complete support package that:   

• Reduces absenteeism   
• Decreases organisational costs   
• Supports multigenerational workforces   
• Boosts your recruitment and retention toolkit   
• Helps you stand out as an employer of choice   
• Makes a positive impact on women’s advancement   

To learn more about how Vivup can help you elevate your return-to-work incentives, book a demo with a friendly member of the team by emailing us today

Sources   

The “Great Return” – legal issues and pitfalls of getting employees back into the office - Bird & Bird (twobirds.com)  

Nine Out Of 10 Companies Will Require Employees Return To The Office (forbes.com)  

‘Never again’: is Britain finally ready to return to the office? | Working from home | The Guardian  

An estimated 4 million UK employees have changed careers due to a lack of flexibility at work | CIPD  

flexible-working-business-case_tcm18-52768.pdf (cipd.org)  

Empty office space on the rise after Covid (thetimes.co.uk)  

Some parents in England spending 80% of pay on childcare, study says | Childcare | The Guardian  

Meet the Londoners struggling with high childcare fees and mortgage chaos | Evening Standard