This Is Guernsey

GUERNSEY could become a pioneer of flexible working practices if the business community were to embrace the concept, according to a recruitment boss.

Andrea Dudley-Owen (pictured), who owns Flexible Working Solutions, said the finance industry should change the way it gauges employee productivity.

‘At the moment, a lot of people measure employees’ output on the hours they’re at their desk, which is totally wrong,’ she said.

‘From my years of working in the finance industry I’ve seen a lot of people with a high presence in the office but with low productivity.

‘Managers must change their approach and embrace flexible working-practices, as there are many long-term advantages.’

After a successful career in the trust sector, Mrs Dudley-Owen left three years ago to have a family.

She started her business after experiencing the difficulties of finding work and bringing up a young family.

She met resistance because she wanted to work remotely from home and so set up Flexible Working Solutions as a way around it.

‘When I was working in the finance industry, I saw how badly treated mums in particular were. They were the ones who had to work the hardest because they had to prove themselves.

‘Skilled and highly trained young retirees, who had been in senior jobs before, were also put into the worst positions just because they wanted to work part-time.

‘It seems as if it’s only senior people who get the right to work flexibly, but it should be much more across the board.

‘I’m not talking about the 18-year-olds who come in on their first day and ask for the afternoon off.

‘A lot of people think working from home means a duvet day, but it’s really not.

‘A couple of weeks ago I read a report claiming that mums returning to work were responsible for youth problems, which is ridiculous.

‘It shows how society tries to make women with young children feel guilty about wanting to have jobs.’

Employers could address the shortfall of 2,000 finance workers by embracing flexible working practices, said Mrs Dudley-Owen.

‘The industry in Guernsey has to be creative in accommodating more people with different requirements.

‘Workers from the UK don’t always know about the complexities of offshore business and there are many other expenses to bear in mind.

‘Companies could save themselves a lot of time and money by employing a local person on a flexible basis.

‘That employee could also repay their employer by staying on full-time once their children have grown up.

‘Their loyalty is pretty much guaranteed.’

Flexible Working Solutions also offers a consultancy service to help companies to identify and review their own flexible working practises to increase staff productivity and effectiveness.

Mrs Dudley-Owen, who has a degree in Japanese and also breeds Tamworth pigs, said having a young family meant she had access to a large network of working mothers.

States policies were going to be encouraging flexible working practises and a Commerce and Employment report was due out soon, she said.

‘There’s a cap on immigration and so businesses must look inwards for their staff. Mums of pre-schoolers and younger children may have between 10-15 hours a week available for work and if utilised properly this could be worth a great deal to companies.

Article posted on 2nd September, 2008 - 2.30pm