Building gender equality in the workplace

The practices and conversations around flexible working have massively changed in the last couple of years. In 2022, businesses are seeing the benefits of giving their staff more freedom to work in the best locations for them; we’re seeing flexible working practices are now an expectation.

It is important to note that although there has been widespread attention given to the benefits that flexible working arrangements offer to women, we have first-hand evidence that they benefit all of our employees, regardless of gender.

You might be a parent who uses flexible hours to manage the school run or a colleague who utilises our core working hours (10am-4pm) in order to go to the gym a little later in the morning. Anything that contributes to a better work-life balance is good for all of us, whatever our personal circumstances might be.

I myself work part time – three and a half days a week – as I have two young children and other family commitments, and my working structure must suit my needs. I am proud to work in a senior leadership role within this part-time arrangement, and I am not the only one in a senior role who has adopted this way of working. This has been possible because the workplace culture at Weetabix, where we’ve taken a ‘test and learn’ approach, supported by regular employee surveys looking at our colleagues’ perception of working here.

Many companies’ flexible working arrangements were developed and strengthened during the pandemic, but although restrictions have eased, the importance of offering flexible working has not diminished. Covid forced many people to reassess their work-life balance and examine the type of company they want to work for. Organisations now need to address what the future workplace looks like, in terms of where we work, how we work and the environment we want to work in. Businesses shouldn’t stand still though once a policy has been implemented, and we’re always reviewing our processes to find what’s best for staff.

We work hard across every level of the business to ensure women thrive at Weetabix as part of our wider inclusion programme. We were pleased to publish our latest gender pay gap report last month, which shows that while we still have work to do, our median pay gap has reduced again in the last year.

However, gender equality at work isn’t just about pay, and it’s important to recognise that there are often underlying factors that contribute to a pay gap in the first place. Policies that create generous parental leave, flexible working, and opportunities for learning and development can all equip people to do their best work in the way that works best for them and for the company.

Clear communication of flexible working policies is key. Companies must ensure that they’re understanding the needs of their people, supporting them with resources and giving them a platform from which to voice their thoughts and opinions about what works best for them. Crucially, flexible working is also based on a culture of trust.

Of course, the flexibility available to workers will vary depending on the type of business. It’s likely organisations will need to tailor hybrid working models to each department for their office-based workers, whilst offering different options for factory staff.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution, and what might be right for one department would not necessarily suit another. We’ve worked with each department to help them set up working practices that support them in their roles.

Our entire approach to flexible working is employee-led and is evolving all the time. After all, a company is only as good as the people within it, and happy, productive colleagues make for a happy, productive business.

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