Policy: start at 9:30am to allow for the school run

Althams Travel

Sandra McAllister, managing director, says: “The branches now open at 9:30am instead of 9:00am as previously. There are no restrictions on the policy – the day starts at 9:30am for all employees. We introduced the policy as the majority of our staff are parents, with many experiencing high pre-school childcare costs. By allowing the 9:30am start most staff can now drop off their children at school and get to work when the office opens. The branch is very rarely busy at 9:00am so it makes sense. 

“Employees have reacted very favourably to the new hours, they’re highly motivated, love work and do give extra when it’s needed. The flexibility works both ways. Customers are fully aware of opening times and there has been no negative impact at all. Productivity continues in an upward curve. Staff appreciate the family/work culture here and understand that in order to retain this ethos there has to be give and take on both sides. We’re proud that we listen to our staff and react to help with the ever-increasing burdens of bringing up a family whilst being able to maintain secure employment. Happy staff are productive staff.”

Policy: work five days, get paid for six

Spa Travel

Paul Dayson, proprietor, says: “I introduced the work for five days, get paid for six initiative as some of my staff would offer to work an extra day for extra pay. But this meant that they were working six days a week every week which I didn’t think was conducive to good mental health or workflow. We found that not all of our specialist operators were open on a Saturday either so we couldn’t get a quote until Monday. Also, the village where we’re based has changed a lot and people are just browsing rather than booking at the weekend, so I thought my staff deserved to have to weekend to themselves and felt that we can get more concentrated work done on Monday to Friday. 

“In terms of logistics, we just have to make sure that nothing carries onto a Saturday but we’re always available for an appointment if clients require a Saturday meeting. People can also leave a message and we’ll always get back to them quickly. I think it’s been a really positive move and the staff seem to love it.”

Policy: flexible working hours during school holidays

Panache Cruises

James Cole, founder and chief executive, says: “We operate an enhanced flexible working arrangement during the school holidays for colleagues who have children or grandchildren. We recognised that school holidays are a difficult time for parents. Getting the life balance right for working parents can be challenging, especially during holidays. We wanted to encourage parents to spend time with their children rather than sometimes feeling they are a burden during holiday time. Colleagues can bank hours on the lead up to school holidays to use during this time or they can work different hours or more hours from home to suit their family commitments whilst considering their work commitments too. 

“The only restriction is that the flexibility has to work for both the individual and their team at work. We must ensure we have a plan for each department and take into account multiple people’s requirements. We’re flexible employers with policies covering all employees with different initiatives. The increase in flexibility has been well received and we’ve had some really positive comments. By ensuring that we plan well in advance we can all ensure that any flexibility results in minimal impact for our customers.”

Policy: limit opening hours to 10am-4pm, Mon-Fri

Murray Travel

Carla Murdoch, branch manager, says: “At Murray Travel we work from 9:00am to 5:00pm, and doors open to the public from 10:00am to 4:00pm. This allows the team to catch up on admin and training for the first and last hour of the working day. It helps our focus by having that hour at the start and end of the day to work through all the admin and then give full attention to the customers. 

“We introduced the policy during Covid due to the sheer amount of schedule changes and disruption. It was a juggle to manage that with a reduced team but still ensure our customers got our full focus when they were in. We also made the decision not to open on Saturdays so the team has a full two days off to rest and reset. There’s still flexibility should we need to meet with clients outside the normal hours, so everyone’s happy.”

Policy: work from home 

Marble City Travel

Tom Britton, managing director, says: “Homeworking is something we’ve embraced since 2016. Our finance director was moving to Wales and wanted to stay with the company but we didn’t have the technology set up at the time. So we adapted. Covid hyper elevated our transition. The night Ireland closed, we raided the office and Marble City Travel homeworking began. From the sales team, we ask that they attend four out of five days in the office as it’s busy. It’s important that the team can interact quickly with the administration team. They work as a united team within the office space, transferring information and discussing challenges. So operationally we’ve found administration works best in an office environment. Homeworking is a very dynamic environment. We work best as a hybrid sales team rather than fully in either camp. 

“There’s a massive trust element involved from a management perspective but from the sales side, they have blossomed. Homeworking also allows flexibility. If a child is sick, it’s often mum who’s the first port of call. It allows headspace for the team too; they can work on complex itineraries without clients standing over their shoulder. We always advise clients when someone’s working from home and let them know they’re contactable, which works really well for everyone.”