The other day at Cullen Scholefield, the rain was beating rhythmically on the conservatory and sent us all off into a daydream. Maureen, being Maureen, rather wistfully remembered the achievements of Stephanie (Steve) Shirley…
Why, you ask? Flexible working hasn’t completely left our minds. The Work Smart: Work Flexibly: Flexible Working Circle of Peers roadshow is drawing to a close now with the last stop on Wednesday 22nd October in Gibraltar. So we’re all still in the flexible working mind frame and while chatting away on the phone about flexible working to an interested Gibraltar professional, Steve Shirley entered our minds once more.
So who is Steve Shirley? For those of you who don’t know, Steve Shirley is one of Britain’s most iconic businesswomen and a pioneer for flexible working. She was passionate about creating flexible working opportunities for women with families and dependents. In 1962, she founded the software company F.I. Group (now Steria) and she predominantly hired women who were seeking flexible working options to fit around their family lives. Unfortunately for Steve this was actually sexual discrimination and made illegal by the Sexual Discrimination Act in 1975, but at least we know her heart was in the right place.
Why is she called Steve? As you will know, the 1960s were not the same as today and unfortunately Stephanie decided she would find it easier to progress in the predominantly male business world if she adopted a pseudonym.
So why think about her now? Well with flexible working being such a topical issue at the moment due to the recent law changes, we thought it would be interesting to look at how far we’ve come since 1962. Whilst it is encouraging that flexible working changes are being made, it is actually quite sad that 50 years later, we haven’t actually made much progress in this area.
Companies are still sceptical about the benefits of flexible working and view it more as slacking rather than productive. Talking with one employee at an international company, I was surprised when she admitted that she would never have thought to ask for flexible working because it would make her look less motivated in her manager’s eyes.
While Steve Shirley did a lot for women seeking flexible working, we are now entering a new era where everyone is able to request flexible working options. This is going to bring many challenges and we’ll need leaders who are able to guide the masses through the slog. So who out there is preaching the right message?
- Maureen is herself an advocate for flexible working, implementing it in her own company and speaking out about it at our Circle of Peers events.
- Richard Branson has just recently come out with his policy for unlimited holidays for his personal staff, letting them jet off whenever and wherever they fancy without fear that this perk will be exploited.
- Last Summer Vodafone sponsored RSA’s report The Flex Factor: Realising the Value of Flexible Working, which looked into the benefits that flexible working can bring to organisations who choose to adopt it.
- Another phone service provider, Telefonica (O2) shut down their Slough Headquarters in February 2013 for the day in the name of flexible working. This was to prove that the technology solutions they had implemented in the previous 12 months were effective enough to allow them to close up shop and work from home for the day. They practice what they preach and aspire to be a leading force in the campaign for flexible working.
All of these individuals and companies are battling for better working solutions for the UK’s workforce. We hear over and over again of people who are passionate about flexible working, but their explanations and encouragements fall on deaf ears when they seek the support of upper management. We need people who will stay true to their beliefs like Steve Shirley to keep us on the right path.
If we achieve this then maybe in another 50 years time when we look back we’ll be proud of the progress we’ve made.