New flexible working definition, principles and cost calculator

NHS England has published their flexible working definition and set of principles to help employers in the NHS understand what flexible working can mean for their workforce and how they can achieve this through their policies.  

If you are an employer within the NHS responsible for flexible working, we are encouraging you to review your flexible working policies to ensure that they are in line with this definition and principles. By doing this, you will ensure that you are providing all of your NHS people with the broadest opportunities to work flexibly.

Download the full guidance: Flexible working: raising the standards for the NHS.

NHS England has also created a simple cost calculator to help employers in the NHS identify potential cost savings.

This simple tool can be used to measure return on investment from any retention initiative by calculating savings based on the additional costs to the organisation from bank and agency costs, and from recruitment costs when staff leave. 

Download the full flexible working cost calculator.

Further resources:

• Tools and resources to help you become a more flexible employer.

• Flexible working – enablers for change

• Guide to making flexible working requests flowchart

• New contractual flexible working provisions - guidance from the NHS Staff Council