According to new data released by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, more than half of employers are making changes to their working practices during the Olympics to enable staff to work more flexibly or enable them to watch key events at work. Almost three in ten employers say they will try and accommodate requests from employees to work from home; 17% will extend flexible working opportunities, while 13% will actively encourage staff to work from home.
While it is interesting and rather surprising to note that the research does not suggest that employers would maximise the amount of time staff could take by way of holiday, the HR GO Group of companies, which is one of the largest national recruitment businesses in the UK, recognises that many companies, both large and small do not have this flexibility capability.
But that is where recruitment companies can help. HR GO plc Group Managing Director, Dr Hugh Billot, says; “the simple answer to the problem is for companies to take on a temporary worker to give them the flexibility to meet some of the demands of their staff to see some Olympic events.
“At peak, we place nearly 6,000 temporary workers a day in almost every sector and a very wide range of jobs and are experts in meeting employers needs albeit for a day, a week or months. The other good thing about this approach is that if the employer is very happy with the temporary worker’s contribution, he can hire him or her permanently. Hence everyone is happy: employers obtain flexibility; staff get to watch some of the Olympic sports and employers have an opportunity of assessing and hiring competent new staff”, continues Hugh.
Taking this approach may well avoid upsetting staff and lowering morale and productivity and also avoid high levels of absence which can be so damaging. HR GO plc, via its 40 UK locations, is already well into hiring and placing temporary workers and expects 1,000 people will be placed over the next four weeks to support many organisations through the Olympic Games period.
