Can flexible working really help you retain vets and nurses in clinical practice?

It’s understandable that employers and managers may be hesitant to engage with the topic of flexible working. Rightly so, they are often concerned about how an individual’s flexible working arrangement may impact the business and the team. And it may feel even more counterintuitive in today’s workforce shortage times. However, the BVA’s good veterinary workforce report clearly shows that a vet’s day-to-day experiences at work have the greatest impact on whether they stay or leave their clinical job. Why? Because it’s the day-to-day things that influence one’s perception of the workplace and impacts on their satisfaction at work. Flexible working is one way to improve satisfaction and is therefore an important way to improve retention. 

 

Various pieces of research show the benefit of flexible working in retaining staff. A CIPD report found that:

  • Staff working flexibly experience higher level of engagement, which can reduce staff turnover by 87% 
  • For entry-level employee, flexible working improves retention and commitment by reducing job-life spillover
  • For senior employees and managerial staff, flexible working enables work continuation, particularly as they become parents 

 

In our Flexee report in 2020, 61% of respondents (vets and vet nurses) said that flexible working helps attract and retain staff. This was perceived as the number one benefit of flexible working in the veterinary profession. 

 

So how can flexible working help us retain happy staff in clinical vet practice? There are many aspects to making flexible working work. These include an effective application of the teamwide give-and-take model, autonomy and high-trust culture, successful utilisation of technology, and effective trialling and managing of alternative working patterns. To reflect on where your practice needs to focus and find out where you fall short, we have created the Flexee Health Score – a free tool composed of 11 reflective questions. Respondents take on average 3 minutes to complete it.



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Flexee Impact Study Requirements

Accreditation Level Requirements

Bronze 

Flexee’s Bronze level of Accreditation in Flexible Working is appropriate for practices which demonstrate an interest in flexible working.

Flexee Practice Account Administrator must Complete and pass Flexee’s course: “Foundational Principles and Practices of flexible working” (qualifies for CPD credits should the participant wish to claim them)

Complete the Flexee online Assessment in Flexible Working and achieve a compliance score of at least 50%

Silver

Flexee’s Silver level of Accreditation in Flexible Working is appropriate for practices which supports flexible working.

Flexee Practice Account Administrator must Complete and pass Flexee’s course: “Foundational Principles and Practices of flexible working” (qualifies for CPD credits should the participant wish to claim them)

Complete the Flexee online Assessment in Flexible Working and achieve a compliance score of at least 70%

Submit 2 case studies demonstrating how your practice applies the Foundational Principles and Practices of flexible working for our assessors to give you feedback.

Requirements:

  • Two different roles within your practice (roles:vets/nurses/receptionist/admin or managers).
  • One case must be a formal flexible working request with changes made to employment terms/contract

Begin your accreditation journey

£40 paid monthly. 

Flexee® Accreditation Requirements

Accreditation Level Requirements

Bronze 

Flexee’s Bronze level of Accreditation in Flexible Working is appropriate for practices which demonstrate an interest in flexible working.

Appoint a Flexee Practice Account Administrator (who automatically becomes a “Friend of Flexee” and can join the community*)

Flexee Practice Account Administrator must Complete and pass Flexee’s course: “Foundational Principles and Practices of flexible working” (qualifies for CPD credits should the participant wish to claim them)

Complete the Flexee online Assessment in Flexible Working and achieve a compliance score of at least 50%

Silver

Flexee’s Silver level of Accreditation in Flexible Working is appropriate for practices which supports flexible working.

Appoint a Flexee Practice Account Administrator (who automatically becomes a “Friend of Flexee” and can join the community*)

Flexee Practice Account Administrator must Complete and pass Flexee’s course: “Foundational Principles and Practices of flexible working” (qualifies for CPD credits should the participant wish to claim them)

Complete the Flexee online Assessment in Flexible Working and achieve a compliance score of at least 70%

Submit 2 case studies demonstrating how your practice applies the Foundational Principles and Practices of flexible working for our assessors to give you feedback.

Requirements:

  • Two different roles within your practice (roles:vets/nurses/receptionist/admin or managers).
  • One case must be a formal flexible working request with changes made to employment terms/contract

Gold

Flexee’s Bronze level of Accreditation in Flexible Working is appropriate for practices which actively embraces flexible working.

Appoint a Flexee Practice Account Administrator (who automatically becomes a “Friend of Flexee” and can join the community*)

Flexee Practice Account Administrator must:

Complete and pass Flexee’s course: “Foundational Principles and Practices of flexible working” (qualifies for CPD credits should the participant wish to claim them)

At least 30% of Practice Team to complete the Flexee online Assessment in Flexible Working and achieve a compliance score of at least 70%

Submit 3 case studies demonstrating how your practice applies the Foundational Principles and Practices of flexible working for our assessors to give you feedback.

Requirements:

  • Three different roles within your practice (roles:vets/nurses/receptionist/admin or managers).
  • Two cases must be a formal flexible working request with changes made to employment terms/contract

Platinum

Flexee’s Bronze level of Accreditation in Flexible Working is appropriate for practices which excels in flexible working.

Appoint a Flexee Practice Account Administrator (who automatically becomes a “Friend of Flexee” and can join the community*)

Flexee Practice Account Administrator must:

Complete and pass Flexee’s course: “Foundational Principles and Practices of flexible working” (qualifies for CPD credits should the participant wish to claim them)

At least 50% of Practice Team to complete the Flexee online Assessment in Flexible Working and achieve a compliance score of at least 70%

Submit 4 case studies demonstrating how your practice applies the Foundational Principles and Practices of flexible working for our assessors to give you feedback.

Requirements:

  • Four different roles within your practice (roles:vets/nurses/receptionist/admin or managers).
  • All cases must be a formal flexible working request with changes made to employment terms/contract
Complete the Flexee Professional Conversation with Flexee’s HR consultant in order to demonstrate further evidence that the practice’s leadership and culture wholeheartedly embraces and excels in flexible working.

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