Advice on how to support the agile working needs of those in low-income households

A recent report, published in December 2022, suggests that employees in lower-income households may have less access to agile working opportunities and may lack the resources required to fully-benefit from agile working

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on NHS Employers

Feeling seen, being heard, taking action, is an academic piece of research which explores the concept of ‘appreciation’ in helping to address the agile working needs of workers from lower-income households. The report found that appreciation is symbolic of the value and worth that lower-income workers are seeking and represents whether resources are available to engage in agile work effectively.

To understand what appreciation means for this group of employees, four themes emerged:

• Theme one: related to the positive experiences and difficulties that lower-income agile workers face.
• Theme two: outlined five different forms of appreciation that lower-income agile workers strive for.
• Theme three: identified ways to foster facilitation and incorporation of appreciation in agile work.
• Theme four: identified the barriers to facilitating and incorporating appreciation.

The report shows that workers in this group associate feeling seen and heard with being valued and appreciated. They also value feeling supported through significant personnel taking action to help them meet their agile working needs. Feeling valued was indicative of them feeling a sense of worth and feeling that they can be the best they can be in the workplace.

Common values

The common themes from the research found that employees from lower-income households valued:

• good health;
• time;
• a loving family;
• supervisor support;
• financial security;
• autonomy;
• job-control;
• self-esteem.

Recommendation to facilitate best practice in agile work for lower-income household workers

As a result of the findings the research recommends embedding appreciation in the NHS workforce, with particular attention being paid to this group of workers. Employers in the NHS should encourage line managers to foster a culture of appreciation in the agile workforce, and leaders need to ensure that the needs of the workforce can be implemented in a tailored and appropriate fashion. To do this, employers can use the ‘THANK’ method: 

• T: Talk about what low-income workers’ needs are and what personal circumstances they have that need to be accommodated. Have regular formal or informal chats with the team, especially with those less visible through shift work and remote work. Suggested actions include surveys, quarterly focus groups and meetings with senior leaders.
• H: Hear what employees are saying and acknowledge their views, concerns and suggestions. Give workers a choice to undertake agile work in ways that benefit them. Go beyond offering different time or place patterns of work and also consider the different ways in which the role can be undertaken. Listening to inputs from employees shows respect and regard for them; try to encourage personalised requests, don’t jump to conclusions, avoid interrupting and summarise conversations back to them.
• A: Act when requests are received for support and agility. If it immediately feels like a request will be difficult to implement, avoid the temptation to obstruct this; instead brainstorm together to develop mutually-created agile working solutions. Try role rotation, job sharing, coaching, provide infrastructure, and allow line managers the freedom to accommodate and provide accessible guidance.
• N: Notice nonverbal cues and keep checking-in on employees to make sure that agile working is supporting their needs by training managers to spot signs, and to notice and recognise good work.
• K: Keep evaluating whether agile working solutions are working for both the individuals and the organisation. Evaluation and reflection show a willingness to change and adapt, and a manager’s willingness to learn and modify practices will create an atmosphere of trust and support. Try to reflect on the value of agile work, and help managers adopting agile working to truly understand, and advocate for, agile work.