Flexible working arrangements have been a hot topic globally as we emerge from COVID restrictions, and new legislation is set to make changes to the Australian workforce context. And while UNE has procedures in place for remote and flexible working, there is currently no university-wide framework to guide decision-making and practice. From its inception at the start of 2021, DigEd has implemented an intentionally designed strategy to define digital-first ways of working – here’s an overview of what we do, how we do it and why.
Often in discussions around flexible work, the focus is on defining rules for how to approve arrangements as something separate or ‘other’ to a standard way of working. However, a much more effective approach is to redefine our work practices and establish ways of working that can inherently accommodate many different types of arrangements. How we think about flexibility is important too – flexibility isn’t just working from home or finishing at 3 for the school run. Flexibility means allowing for different ways of thinking, doing and being in all aspects of our work – location, time, medium, format, structure, interaction and so on. Taking a broad definition of flexibility does require that we value all ways of working equally and take the time to unpack our assumptions, but allows us to include a diverse range of people across cultures, abilities, neurotypes and identities, and enhance the strengths and capabilities our people have.
This approach to flexibility has many benefits for UNE as an organisation too – enhancing wellbeing and productivity, increased job satisfaction, attracting and retaining talent in a competitive market with low unemployment, and resilience through events like COVID and natural disasters.
DigEd’s strategy puts this into action – our core principle is that everyone is empowered to work in the ways that are best for them. We achieve this through a set of principles that are applied consistently in our work practices:
- A team culture of trust, set by our team goals and values and supported by clear expectations around communication practices and use of platforms
- Normalising inclusive practices in the team and setting expectations for multimodality and accessibility around how we meet, communicate and socialise
- Practicing digital social presence through frequent informal connection in Teams, Zoom and other tools
- Being explicit about valuing informal connection and activities as critical to, not a distraction from, productivity
- A design thinking and user experience orientation to developing human-centred practices that serve our goals
- Proactively managing workloads and business continuity through redesigning business practices and implementing team-based working
These principles mean that the assurance for equity and for meeting our obligations is situated in our work design, not in individual arrangements. They also ensure our work practices are inherently resilient and inclusive, and foster high levels of wellbeing for our staff. Since implementing our strategy in 2021, DigEd staff have consistently reported high levels of wellbeing and productivity despite many of our staff working in hybrid and flexible ways in locations ranging from Invergowrie to Adelaide to the Sunshine Coast.
From a theoretical perspective, our strategy draws heavily on our expertise in learning and teaching – the same concepts we use to design effective online learning can also be applied effectively in a workplace context. There is a wealth of research, frameworks and methods that can be applied to digital-first working – here are some that have informed DigEd’s strategy:
If you prefer the more practical, here are some simple things you can do to develop ways of working in your area that can more effectively enable flexibility:
- Follow practical tips to develop digital presence
- Implement simple strategies for inclusive meetings
- Learn to communicate effectively and responsibly through text
- Learn management strategies from companies who have normalised remote working
Update – you can now read testimonials from DigEd staff on their experiences with our strategy: