Flexing the approach for a global workforce: Cable & Wireless Worldwide
Flexing the approach:
Continuous performance is the lifeblood of many organisations and when C&W Worldwide found it wasn’t immune from the volcanic ash cloud which stranded some of its 5,850 strong UK workforce abroad, it immediately set to work on an emergency plan.
Debbie Meech, People Director for the business, said it was a great example of the way it flexes its approach.
Five days of leave, over and above annual leave, were offered to the 49 C&W Worldwide colleagues who were grounded. This gave many of those stuck abroad, the opportunity to get home and back to work without being penalised. When 12 of the colleagues were unable to make it home even after the five-day advance, the business further allowed them to take the extra leave from their annual allowance.
The same flexible attitude applied when colleagues were hit by severe snow conditions earlier in the year. C&W Worldwide extended the opportunity for employees to work from home – backed up by a virtual private network and encouragement from senior players.
Outside of unusual weather conditions the business does a great deal to help its working parents fulfil their work/life balance desires. Meech says: “C&W Worldwide is truly one of the most flexible companies I know. We are able, where jobs allow, to go home to collect the children and then return to work, or work from home afterwards.” In turn the business has seen the number of part-timers grow and it now employs 20% of its staff as either part-time, home working or independent, meaning staff go to sites when needed but are predominantly based at home.
Supporting working parents:
Whilst maternity and paternity policies don't in themselves constitute flexible working they do have a bearing on how employees integrate their work and home life. C&W Worldwide has recognised this and gone over and above statutory pay levels for mums and dads to ensure it helps its working parents get the best start.
C&W Worldwide tops up maternity allowances for its colleagues from statutory levels to 100% full pay for the first 17 weeks of maternity leave whilst dads can take the first full week of paternity leave on full pay as opposed to statutory pay.
Further support is offered to working parents via childcare vouchers which provide Tax and National Insurance savings as well as family health care options. These are made available to employees. Colleagues can also buy an extra two weeks paid leave with their flexible benefits options and a colleague assistance telephone service offers advice and support on the range of issues faced by working parents from how to support teenagers taking GCSEs to how to handle finances. Crucially this service is also open to the families of employees.
With its diverse staff base, C&W Worldwide finds the popularity of benefits varies between local markets. Meech says: “Health care in Asia, for example, is very important whilst in India free bus passes is a priority. The business recognises that we operate in a variety of locations where benefits hold different appeal.”
Trust:
The bedrock of the business’s flexible working strategy is based on trust. C&W Worldwide recognises that the flexibility it offers aims to give working parents the freedom they desire to balance their work and family lives and, in turn, it trusts colleagues to get on with the job in hand, whether they work remotely, from home or part-time. Meech says the business encourages its managers to say ‘yes’ to flexible working requests and uses the technology it pioneers to suit people’s needs.
“The fact that we’re carrying on with our flexible working approach means that it must be working well because whilst it is about trust it is also about delivery.”
The extremely modest turnover figures of just 4.8% of colleagues leaving per year show that the company strives to win over the hearts and minds of its flexible workforce.
Fostering a diverse workforce:
Building a culture in which flexible working is trusted and respected is key to making it work. Having women at the top of the organisation has helped shaped this strategy.
Around a quarter of women work at mid to senior level. Meech says that attracting women isn’t an issue for a company which provides opportunity and development for its brightest stars. “In the past it may have been difficult to get women into the business but I haven’t seen that at all,” she says. “C&W Worldwide simply looks for the best experienced talent.”
C&W Worldwide is spread across many different markets including Europe, Russia, Dubai, Japan, Australia, India, Africa, America and Hong Kong - having a diverse workforce has been important for the business to reach out to its global customers but also in building a culture where flexible working is valued. The recruitment strategy focuses on the local markets. The business doesn’t move people around the country but recruits from the local talent pool in which it is based. Meech says: “That’s how you get the diversity. We recruit from Bangalore to Bracknell. We don’t just use ex-pats, which a lot of companies do.”
This diverse workforce has translated itself into a culture in which colleagues demonstrate a can-do attitude. Meech says: “I’ve been here for six months. I joined as an interim worker. What I really liked is the attitude of the people.” Meech will set about redefining the company’s values and making them globally consistent. These will include:
- Say it like it is.
- We think Customer.
- We support each other.
- We deliver together.
C&W Worldwide’s approach to employment means colleagues know that wherever they are in the world and however they work, they are trusted by their employer to get on with the job in hand and deliver to keep their customers to performance consistent.
Workingmums.co.uk is launching the inaugural Workingmums.co.uk Top Employer Awards to publicly recognise and celebrate those organisations that show a commitment to promoting flexible working, diversity and work life balance. The awards are open to organisations of all sizes and winners will be announced at an event hosted by Workingmums.co.uk on 5th October 2010. For more information and to apply see:
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