Summary
Flexible working practices are fundamental to the work of the public sector in the 21st century. They need to be considered as part of any strategy which seeks to recruit and retain high quality staff, particularly younger female officers. Flexible working practices can include a variety of schemes, however in the police service, and particularly for police officers, the main options are part-time and job share. This report describes the benefits of flexible working practices within police forces, identifies barriers to their use, discusses the types of flexible working practices suitable for different employee groups and employee roles, and suggests good practice in the introduction and ongoing management of flexible working practices in the service.
Contents
1. Introduction. -- 2. Police service use of flexible working practices: an overview. -- 3. Working options at basic command unit level. -- 3.1. Determining working patterns: managers' considerations. -- 3.2. Flexible working patterns in basic command units. -- 3.3. Managers' awareness and attitudes. -- 3.4. Points for action. -- 4. Putting the business case: benefits for the organisation. -- 4.1. Meeting organisational requirements effectively: tactical use by managers. -- 4.2. Staff retention and recruitment: improving efficiency and diversity. -- 4.3. Work-life balance: benefits for employees. -- 4.4. Points for action. -- 5. Identifying and addressing the barriers. -- 5.1. Legal barriers. -- 5.2. Attitudinal barriers. -- 5.3. Organisational barriers. -- 5.4. Barriers to maintaining quality of service. -- 5.6. Central management procedures. -- 5.7. Barriers to maintaining a successful work-life balance. -- 5.8. Points for action. -- 6. Improving the management of flexible working practices. -- 6.1. Negotiation: the 'give and take' balance. -- 6.2. Communication. -- 6.3. Training. -- 6.4. Guidance and support for staff. -- 6.5. Introducing less common working patterns. -- 6.6. Childcare support. -- 6.7. Points for action. -- 7. Conclusions. -- Appendix 1: Research design issues (including HMIC categorization of posts). -- Appendix 2: Working patterns from the government's work-life balance: discussion document. -- Appendix 3: Types of shift pattern in the police service. -- Appendix 4: Example questions for assessing the scope for flexibility in police service roles.