Earlier this year we launched #100waystoworkflexibly which details a range of different steps businesses can take to support both men and women at work including flexitime, job shares, remote working and
annualised hours.
"Associates on
annualised hours contracts have their hours expressed as a total number of hours to be worked during the course of the year.
Customer advisors work
annualised hours on a flexible rota covering shifts between 8.45am - 19.15pm, including weekends.
Annualised hours contracts have seen growth over the period - in 2012, just 2.9% of workers in the region had this type of contract, it was 9.7% in 2017.
"That has enabled us to develop a roster system that will convert 130 part-time roles into full-time positions, provide more certainty to colleagues by reducing the percentage of the workforce on
annualised hours from 25 per cent to 12pc and increase the number of shift patterns that give people three consecutive days off.
"To manage the fluctuation of our customer demand, we have previously proposed the introduction of
annualised hours but this was rejected, and the current method was the preferred option.
Other elements of the offer include a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies, introduction of
annualised hours contracts or introduction of zero hours contracts for existing staff until at least April 1 2017.
Bosses also wants to bring in
annualised hours for staff presently receiving payments for unsocial hours and shift working.
In addition, managers have more control over hours worked and are able to monitor and record
annualised hours, better manage absenteeism and electronically authorise holidays.
A Kirklees Council, spokesman said: "Whilst the council will be sympathetic to any request, we would look for employees to use the methods available to them, for example through annual leave, flexi-time,
annualised hours or extended unpaid leave.
Time banking and
annualised hours are also part of the current policy agenda (in Finland, Germany and Luxembourg).
We offer them
annualised hours which means more hours in the summer and fewer in the winter."