Our flexible working policy at dxw
We work at a sustainable pace and want everyone to feel supported and included.
As dxw grows, we want to continue to build an inclusive, diverse company based on our values. We recognise that different people have different needs and want to provide a working environment that is welcoming and empowering for all. We work at a sustainable pace and want everyone to feel supported and included.
A really important part of how we do this has been defining our flexible working policy and what it means for our team. We believe that if we adopt and offer flexible policies it improves the wellbeing of our team – and that in turn improves the service we provide for our clients – and research backs us up!
What is flexible working?
Flexible working gives our team members flexibility over how long, where and when they work. It can mean different things but we have chosen to include full-time, part-time and compressed hours, as well as working remotely.
Working from home or in the office is made effortless (most of the time!) with our various well-established methods of communication. These include things like Slack, Google, and video conferencing.
A few tips on working away from the office
Here are some of the things we’ve learned.
Finding a suitable place to work
Think productive and comfortable. If you’re working from home and other people are in that space, you may need to find somewhere away from them to help you focus and create boundaries. If you’re in a co-working space, find out about the different working options open to you. You’ll also need to think about your posture, if you’re working from home or another site regularly you may need an office chair and a good desk set up to prevent any neck and back issues in the long term.
Communication is key
It’s your responsibility to let your team know what you’re working on and stay in touch throughout the day if you’re working solo. Planning your work in advance and having any in-person conversations ahead of working from home or at another site should help with this, but there shouldn’t be many things you can’t achieve by phone or video calls.
Good AV
If you are going to join calls, check that your laptop microphone and camera are working well and you’re in a space where echo and other noise isn’t going to lessen your ability to participate in the call. Follow up with the team at the other end and ensure they have tested their set up too. On a busy day this can get overlooked and may impact on the effectiveness of the meeting (we’ve all been there while 10 minutes is lost fiddling with the IT kit). It’s much better to be proactive beforehand.
Take regular breaks
In the office, you’ll probably take breaks more organically or as part of your regular routine, than when you’re working at home or in another location. But they are just as important. Remember to get up, have a stretch and a cup of tea/coffee/water, etc regularly. If you can, getting outside at lunchtime will reinvigorate you for the afternoon.
Finish on time
It’s tempting to work longer when you don’t have the commute to worry about. This is your call, but remember that sustainable pace is important and if you do longer hours this can impact on you later in the week. It’s much better to be more focused with your working hours, than to work longer and tire yourself out.
Returners’ Programme
This year we’ve launched our Returners’ Programme, offering return to work opportunities for experienced people who are looking to re-enter the workplace after an extended period of time away. To support people who work varying hours, we’re offering roles which have flexible and part-time options. All returners will be fully supported as they refresh, test and build on past skills and experience.
Wellbeing
We’re looking forward to trialling some new wellness approaches during our 2 Wellbeing Weeks in June. We’ll be hosting a variety of activities, including cooking classes, painting and sketching, spin classes, singing, geocaching, beer tasting, and board games (among others!). We’ll blog more about that soon.
If you’d like to have a chat with us about what we’re doing or have any ideas to share, please get in touch.