This year, under Vision 21, our business transformation project, we looked at how we could change the way we work and move from a system of set working hours to flexible and agile working.

We have now launched ‘flexible working’ to give staff more choice in the hours they work and the location they work from. This is having a positive impact on the work-life balance of staff as it means they can work around family or personal commitments, and be flexible in their approach to delivering a great service to customers.

Flexible working means that if it fits with the needs of our customers and their team, staff can choose to vary their start and finish times.  Staff still work 37 hours a week but have more choice in when they work their hours. We have removed ‘core hours’ which meant staff had to work between 10am and 4pm, Monday to Friday. Some staff now start work early because they feel more productive, or choose to work some evenings or weekends. For others it has meant they can easily organise their work around caring responsibilities, or pick their children up from school.

Flexible working has been made possible by Leeds Federated’s investment in new technology over the last few years. This has enabled us to make the most of the opportunity it presents to collaborate and find new and better ways of working. Staff can access housing systems through mobile tablets or lap tops when they are out of the office or on visits with customers. This helps us to work more efficiently and has reduced the need for staff to be in the office as often. It has also given staff the option to work from home.