Keeping mums

Imagine a career where job-shares and flexible working are the norm, where the childcare schemes are great and morale is high. Would that career exist in the hospitality industry?

It should. There's no good reason why any hospitality businesses should lag behind those in other industries. The anti-social hours, shift-work and reliance on casual (predominantly female) staff all make flexible working and job-sharing practical and cost-effective in even the smallest hospitality operation. For the big companies, childcare schemes should be no more difficult to set up than in any other kind of conglomerate.

But the fact is that 65% of mothers work now, compared with 47% in 1973, yet a shocking 74% of women reckon that their career development has suffered by taking time off for children. This should be seen alongside the fact that, according to statistics from Flexecutive, some 68% of businesses are experiencing an increase in demand for flexible working and 78% believe it drives competitive advantage.

Yet, for some reason, while many companies have excellent policies, a number of those we contacted say they still "don't have anything in place".

Tellingly, it's non-hospitality companies such as the Royal Bank of Scotland, British Telecom and Marks & Spencer that scoop the awards set up by lobby groups such as Parents at Work. They win with innovations such as term-time working, compressed hours, and even leave for women having IVF treatment. No wonder they report low staff turnover, better staff motivation and the ability to attract better candidates, while, according to the Labour Market Review 2002, some 56.4% of hospitality jobs were unfilled.

Progressive companies
Certainly, hospitality is an industry that finds it hard to attract and retain staff, but jobs with the progressive companies are much sought after by potential recruits.

Stuart Harrison, the principal at consultancy The Profitable Hotel Company, explains: "Employees are beginning to differentiate between employers who have a more holistic view on work and life - and it is clearly defined between those companies that are flexible and those that aren't."

He describes the best companies as being those that have good communication "from the top down and bottom up", because they have stripped out a few layers in their hierarchies. He adds that sensitivity to staff has a knock-on effect: better customer service.

But, while some in the industry have excellent attitudes to flexible working, Harris worries that some companies just pay lip service to it and will eventually lose out. "The scales are falling from employees' eyes," he warns.

Justine Watson, operations director at recruitment agency Berkeley Scott, agrees that the hospitality industry is often slow to undergo what she describes as "awareness shifts" while the workforce is only too aware of who offers the best working conditions. But she says that the new law hasn't prompted a deluge of people demanding jobs with flexible working hours.

"Nothing miraculous has changed since the law came in because, even before that, people wanted flexible or part-time hours," she says. "The best employers are the ones that have done more than the law expected of them in terms of looking at workforce flexibility."

This includes those which look at people individually and draw up contracts to suit their needs - an example outside the hospitality industry, Watson says, is department store Debenhams.

So who is ahead of the game within the industry? Names that get most mentions are young companies such as Pret a Manger and Yo! Sushi, which advertise their flexible policies to attract staff. There are also old-timers such as Hilton, where flexitime and childcare schemes have been in place for years.

Crèches But how far should employers be expected to go? Are crŠches, for instance, feasible? Vicky Roberts, office manager at hotel group LHM plc, doesn't think so. The company, which runs Alias Hotels and Luxury Family Hotels, specialises in childcare for its guests, but Roberts reckons it wouldn't be possible to provide it for a workforce that relies on shifts. "It's only feasible where there are a lot of people," she says.

Harrison agrees. He says he was involved in trying to set up a crŠche for a hotel 10 years ago but it could work only as a hospitality partnership with others nearby.

For contract caterers, even that is almost impossible. Wendy Bartlett, director of contract caterer Bartlett Mitchell, explains that crŠches are not viable because not only are her staff guests on somebody else's site, but typically there are too few staff per contract - only between three and 50. And there are health and safety considerations. "I've looked at it in the past but it is a legal nightmare," she says.

Like other forward-thinking executives, Bartlett is doing what is feasible. She encourages her staff, male and female alike, to work flexible hours and even allows them to bring their children into head office occasionally during holidays. While, for some, that may be a step too far, for Bartlett it means she has a loyal, hard-working team.

What's being done in the UK

Hilton
Gordon Lyle, vice-president human resources and quality, Hilton UK & Ireland

Do you have any childcare schemes? We've had a voucher-based childcare scheme in place since 1996 for staff with pre-school children. It's a taxable benefit that generates close to 100% take-up, but they organise their own childcare - there's no company crŠche.

Have more staff taken up flexible working since the new law came into force? There's been no visible increase in demand. Our hotel managers have always been receptive about discussing flexible hours of work with staff. This is essential, owing to the nature of our business, and the new legislation has simply provided further structure to the process.

Is it always viable for employers to provide childcare schemes? There's no reason why hoteliers should be against the principle of a childcare scheme. For Hilton, the childcare scheme provides support to staff while allowing the business to retain their skills and dedication. This is seen as a win-win outcome.

How do you handle requests that are difficult to accommodate? Dialogue helps our managers understand the request and think through all the options available.

LHM hotels
(alias Hotels and Luxury Family Hotels)
Vicky Roberts, office manager

Do you have a flexible policy? We have a flexible attitude rather than a specific policy. We have always had a free-and-easy attitude, so the law hasn't had an effect on us.

How does it work? If one of the housekeepers needs to do a school run, they come in late and leave late. There are three of us in head office with children and if somebody has to go to a sports day, say, we just work around it.

Can everyone do it? So long as everybody does a good job, we are not too strict about hours. About 60% of our 300 staff are women, but in hotels everyone works shifts. It's mainly the housekeepers who need to work flexitime.

Cheryl Bond Founder, Party Perfect Events

Have you found the work-life balance difficult? I started my events company a year ago because, as a single mum of three, I found it impossible to juggle a full-time job and motherhood.

How do you operate your business? I let my two staff work from home. Being more flexible is better for employer and employee alike - we've all got to attend parents evenings, which are inevitably held in the afternoon, sports days and school doctor appointments.

Is it a problem? No. I use the Internet to communicate with my staff. We will have done seven weddings this year, handling budgets of £500,000. It's very important to be flexible, or people just pull a sickie and let you down at the last moment. This way, the staff are more loyal - and I haven't had to take any premises yet.

Main provisions of the Employment Act 2002

The main provisions of the Employment Bill 2001 came into force in April 2003. The main changes it brought about are:

• Statutory maternity pay (SMP) is increased to £100 a week, or 90% of weekly earnings, whichever is lower.
• The paid maternity leave period is extended from 18 weeks to 26 weeks.
• Women who have completed one year's continuous service with their employer are entitled to an additional 26 weeks' unpaid maternity leave.
• Working fathers are entitled to two weeks' paid leave at SMP rates. This is in addition to their right to take unpaid parental leave.
• One adoptive parent is entitled to 26 weeks' paid leave at SMP rates. In addition, if they have completed at least one year's continuous service with their employer, the adoptive parent is entitled to a further 26 weeks' unpaid leave.
• Employees with a child under the age of six (or under the age of 18, if the child is disabled) have the right to apply to their employer for a variation in their working times or hours. Requests can be refused only if there is a clear business reason.
• Further changes coming into force some time in 2004 include minimum statutory disciplinary and grievance procedures which must be followed by an employer. These will be automatically included in all contracts of employment.

The American perspective

While the USA doesn't have an employment law that forces companies to facilitate flexible working, Marriott International strives to provide its staff with a good work-life balance.

The company has consequently been listed among the 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers, by Working Mother magazine. We asked Donna Klein, vice-president of diversity and workplace effectiveness for the group, how the philosophy works.

Does Marriott provide childcare for its employees, or provide financial assistance towards childcare? Yes, Marriott has three childcare centres in the USA - one at corporate HQ, one in downtown Washington DC, and one in Atlanta - and the company offers some financial assistance. Staff at corporate pay for the service, but the fees for the other programmes are based on a sliding scale of staff income.

Marriott has also negotiated discounts with accredited childcare providers throughout the USA. Different markets vary but most offer a 10% discount.

Does Marriott have many requests for flexible working from staff who have children? Marriott has a philosophy that encourages managers to work with their teams and try to accommodate flexitime. It is a case-by-case process and up to the individual department, manager, and property.

How difficult is it to arrange flexible working, and what does it cost the company? In some cases (mostly at corporate), Marriott will permit telecommuting from home for associates, and cover the cost of computers, phones, and fax and office supplies in the home.

Any other suggestions on helping staff to work flexible hours? Fill in for co-workers when they need to leave early for personal reasons, and ask them to return the favour when you need it. Identify work that is of low value but time-consuming. Can you do it differently, or eliminate it? Focus on results, not time worked.

Benefits of being a flexible employer

• More flexible, agile business
• Reduced employee turnover
• Reduced sickness
• Increased retention of key skills and experience
• Increased employee commitment and motivation
• Attraction of quality candidates for positions.

Source: Parents at Work

Did you know…?

• Only one in 10 employers help their staff with childcare.
• 5% of workplaces offer nursery places.
• 5% of employers help towards childcare costs.
• Almost 40% of employees have dependent children.
• 58% of women with a child under five work.
• 78% of women with children aged 6-13 work outside the home.
• Three-quarters of parents say that working parents cannot find enough childcare.
• 45% of women work more than 40 hours a week.
• 30% of men work more than 50 hours a week.
• 61% of working families have parents who work shifts or work during early mornings, evenings, nights or weekends.

Source: Day Care Trust

Useful websites

• Updates: www.dti.gov.uk
• Research, case studies and advice: www.theworkfoundation.com (link to Employers for Work Life Balance and Parents at Work)
• Advice for small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs): www.jobsworth.com.