The recent SPVS Congress was a great success. Inspirational speakers, interesting discussions and, of course, an incredible party.
XLVets and Flexee have a long standing relationship – working together to enable XLVets veterinary practices to successfully implement flexible working in order to make the profession more sustainable for those working within it.
Despite the highs, SPVS was not without its challenges. Sarah Armstrong, Flexee’s Human Resources and change management expert, completely lost her voice. Andrew Curwen, CEO of XLVets kindly stepped in, leading a compelling discussion reflecting on jigsaw working in veterinary practices.
Our panel comprised:
A jigsaw practice is one where clinical and/or non-clinical employees are working a wide variety of working patterns, hours, locations and even roles (the ‘jigsaw pieces’) – the majority of which are non-standard.
Proactive communication: You don’t have to wait to receive a formal flexible working request. Encourage ongoing, open dialogues with your staff, for example during performance reviews, to understand their needs and preferences. Explore whether these can be accommodated proactively.
Retention and motivation: Jigsaw working enhances staff retention and motivation, enabling staff members to manage work alongside personal commitments more effectively. Although difficult to adequately express in a job advert, jigsaw working aids recruitment. Our panel even found it enticed previous staff members to return, reducing training time significantly. And even though a new recruit might not necessarily need flexibility at this point in time, knowing it’s an option later is an attractive prospect.
Reciprocity in flexibility: Accommodating flexible working requests fosters a culture of goodwill within the practice. This in turn leads to employees willingly taking on occasional extra or alternative hours, resulting in ‘give and take’ both ways.
Management and resource investment: Successful jigsaw working requires dedicated management and resource investment in order to manage complicated rostering. However, despite the associated costs, it proves more cost effective than paying overtime, locum hiring or frequent recruitment.
Internal Communications: Establish effective internal communication and continuity strategies in order to accommodate the multiple working patterns present. This includes overlap for job share and part time employees, handover books, regular huddles held on different days of each week, weekly email updates to all staff and monthly socials with work updates. Try, wherever possible, to ensure that catch- up/comms meetings are in [paid] work time.
Staff involvement: Be brave. Engage employees in decision making processes surrounding how the practice is best staffed. Honesty and transparency pays dividends.
In summary, embracing jigsaw working in veterinary practices is not a passive process. It requires strategic planning, dedicated rota management and effective communication. However, in the midst of a recruitment and retention crisis, it paves the way for a more sustainable future for the veterinary profession.
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| Accreditation Level | Requirements |
|---|---|
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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% |
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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:
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| 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:
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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:
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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:
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