Wickes to provide flexible hours for store management roles 

Following a six month pilot across 14 stores, Wickes is set to make all store management roles open to flexible working.

It comes as the retailer partnered with Timewise to undertake research on the roles of store managers, operations managers and duty managers to understand the barriers to “design, trial and evaluate a flexible working model that supported managers to deliver their roles with greater flexibility, input and control over their working patterns”.

During the trial, some managers opted to change their working patterns to work four longer days in-store, whilst others chose to “flex their hours across the week in a way that better suited their lives”, according to the group.

The results from the pilot demonstrated that there was no negative impact on store performance or KPIs and 96.5% of store managers taking part in the pilot were either ‘satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’ with their working hours at the end of the pilot (up from 66.5% pre-pilot).

Sonia Astill, chief people officer at Wickes, said: “We are delighted to be giving the opportunity for our store management teams to explore flexible working options and busting the myth that managers in retail operations need to be on-site at all hours of the day. We have demonstrated that this just isn’t the case and that being open-minded about flexible working patterns can deliver significant benefits to both the company and colleagues.

“At Wickes we want our colleagues to feel at home and feel supported to be their authentic selves at work. Key to achieving this is a healthy work-life balance, allowing people to switch off from work and spend more time with friends and family. It is also a win-win for the business leading to higher levels of engagement, reduced turnover and the ability to attract and retain diverse talent. Ultimately, happy colleagues lead to happy customers and better overall company performance.”

Amy Butterworth, Consultancy director at Timewise, added: “The UK has approximately 8 million shift-based workers, and they want to be included in the flexible working revolution. In roles based at a particular location – a busy store, a hospital ward, a factory floor – the best way to make that happen, is by offering greater input into the schedule and more say in terms of working pattern, exactly as Wickes are doing.”

Gav Harrison, regional leader at Wickes, concluded: “My team has experienced and led amazing results in working flexibly! Giving our store leadership teams greater flexibility over their working patterns has created a work life balance that supports the needs of their working time, and time for other aspects of their personal or family life. 

“We have learned that how people work or want to work is very unique and personal to them and enabling cultural flexibility, has removed barriers and given all colleagues the opportunity to contribute and develop to their fullest potential.”