Limited

• No deliberate recording or monitoring of flexible working arrangements (formal part-time arrangements solely for salary and conditions purposes).
• Little information gathered on employees’ and managers’ uptake, experiences of, and attitudes to flexible working.

Basic

• Basic recording of the uptake of flexible work arrangements, with an emphasis on formal arrangements.
• Some information has been gathered from managers and employees on their experiences of, and attitudes to, flexible working.

Embedded

• Information is periodically gathered from managers, employees and unions on uptake of, experiences of, and attitudes to the full range of flexible working options.
• Information is reported to leadership, shared with managers, employees and unions, and used to strengthen flexible-by-default within the agency.

Limited

• Limited or no vision or goals around organisational flexibility or moving to a flexible-by-default approach.

Basic

• General strategy around flexible working but not about the move to a flexible-by-default approach.

Embedded

• Clear vision and goals about moving to flexible- by-default, linked to the agency’s wider strategic goals.
• The strategy covers all the actions involved in shifting to flexible-by-default.

Limited

• No plan to guide the shift to flexible-by-default.

Basic

• High-level plan includes some of the actions involved in shifting to flexible-by-default.

Embedded

• A full plan guides all the actions involved in shifting to flexible-by-default.

Limited

• Limited or no communication on flexible working or the policies and guidelines related to flexible working.

Basic

• Some ad hoc communication on the availability of flexible working.
• Information on agency policies and guidelines regarding flexible working is available but not on a flexible-by-default approach.

Embedded

• A communications plan supports a shift to flexible-by-default across the agency.
• Information is readily available and easily understandable to employees and unions on policies and practices related to flexible-by- default.

Limited

• No engagement with managers, leaders, employees and unions on flexible-by-default.
• No engagement to identify flexible working benefits, concerns and/or challenges.

Basic

• Some engagement with managers, leaders, employees and unions on moving to flexible-by-default.
• Engagement begun about the benefits of flexible working, as well as concerns/challenges and how to address these.

Embedded

• Regular engagement with managers, leaders, employees and unions to build/maintain a flexible- by-default culture.
• Engagement is used to identify the benefits of flexible-by-default and how to address concerns and challenges.

Limited

• No communication from the executive leadership team about the benefits of flexible working for the agency.
• Low awareness of the benefits of flexible working for employees and agencies and traditional biases toward flexible workers are common.
• No support for managers to effectively manage flexible employees or teams.

Basic

• The executive leadership team supports flexible working but has made no statements about flexible-by-default.
• Some managers of high-functioning flexible teams are supportive of flexible working.
• Managers can seek learning and development around managing flexible teams, but it is not proactively provided by the agency.

Embedded

• The executive leadership team clearly communicates how flexibility will help achieve the agency’s goals and the rationale for being flexible-by-default.
• Flexible-by-default widely understood and supported by leaders, managers, employees and unions.
• Flexible working is available regardless of gender and does not affect progression or pay.
• Learning opportunities available to managers to support them to manage flexible-by-default teams.

Limited

• Limited IT to support flexible
• The impact of flexible working on health and safety has not been considered.
• No consistent approach to making and considering flexible working requests.
• The impact of flexible working on data security and privacy of information has not been considered.

Basic

• Some flexible working- enabling IT is available.
• Health and safety policies and practices are being reviewed in the light of flexible working options.
• Processes in place for making and considering flexible working requests but do not include a flexible-by-default approach.
• Some safeguards are in place to maintain data security and privacy of information when employees work remotely.

Embedded

• Flexible working-enabling IT in place across the agency.
• Health and safety policies and practices consider remote working and are communicated in guidelines and training resources.
• Consistent processes and practices for making and considering flexible working requests, consistent with a flexible-by-default approach, which may be included in employment agreements.
• Safeguards in place to maintain data security and privacy of information when employees work remotely.