Why flexible working is here to stay

In 2020 Xerox calculated that it saved 92 million miles of driving by allowing its remote workers to avoid commuting. In the same year, a study conducted by Indeed found 57% of employees felt they are more productive when they work from home.  So, with an increase in productivity levels and profound environmental benefits it seemed only logical that remote and flexible working become permanent here at First Wealth to aid wellbeing and work life balance.  

The Covid-19 pandemic was difficult for everyone and affected people in different ways. However, there were aspects of lockdown that benefitted people and the environment greatly such as more time with family, saving both time and cost on a commute and a better work life balance. At First Wealth employee wellbeing is an important part of the culture which is why we have employee benefits such as Heka membership, employee healthcare and have now decided to continue with remote and flexible working policies permanently.  

Stuart Lyall, one of our Client Relationship Managers, stated of his own experience of flexible working at First Wealth: 

‘Flexible working has really improved my quality of life. My wife works and we have a young son, so being able to share the nursery drop off and pick-ups is great. Also, there is no stress involved if I have to finish slightly early, because I know I can make the hours up later in the day or in the evening and the whole team are 100% behind that.’ 

Data shows that a part time flexible worker saves the equivalent of 11 workdays per year in the time they would otherwise commuting (according to Global Workplace Analytics) which is why we are so glad that our employees now have the option to save that time by working remotely should they wish to. 

Our Practice Manager, Kerry Burgess said of flexible working:  

‘Throughout the pandemic staff quickly adjusted to be able to provide the same high-quality services to clients from home. It became apparent during this time that services being provided remotely benefitted clients as well. We noticed that clients often seemed more relaxed when having meetings from home, it was easier for them to manage their schedule when having meetings and important documents required for onboarding were more to hand. Of course, we value our client relationships and missed seeing them but being able to offer a hybrid of online and in person services means we can accommodate each clients schedule.  

‘Flexible working can mean different things for different people, for me it is the ability to give more to my role with less commuting, which by the end of the week would always leave me exhausted, I now feel I have more energy to apply to what I do. I love the fact that I can concentrate more at home. 

‘We have developed a new team within the business called Back Office Support, as that role is home-based, we have been able to be more flexible with the working conditions and who we have been able to employ, geographically, they have not had to live within a commutable distance to London as they work remotely, but the flexible working hours have also meant additional freedoms to be able to fit work around life demands. Working from the office has become a choice and not a demand.’  

At First Wealth we always aim to be responsive to change and progressive in our approach to maintaining positive company culture. We believe that flexible working will not only improve the lives of our team but also improve job satisfaction, loyalty and attract a wider talent pool. It is also believed by many corporations that flexible working reduces absenteeism and increases loyalty.  

As the end of the pandemic nears it feels more important than ever to ensure the wellbeing of both ourselves and those around us. Our lives are progressively returning to normal which for many of us means being busier now than we have been in over a year and a half! Flexible working helps to promote a gentler approach to returning to normal which is good for mental health and building up the stamina many people may have lost during the pandemic.  

It also ensures that the positive outcomes of the pandemic can be carried forward with us into this next chapter of our lives. Employees can still pick their children up from school early some days or sleep a bit longer in the morning when they don’t have to commute. We are proud to be embracing change and, as always, wellbeing and sustainability as we move towards normality and beyond.  

This document is marketing material for a retail audience and does not constitute advice or recommendations. Past performance is not a guide to future performance and may not be repeated. The value of investments and the income from them may go down as well as up and investors may not get back the amount originally invested.