Pierce Cody, the founder of retailer Macro Wholefoods says there are great dividends for employers who communicate well with their staff and adopt a flexible approach.

'Staff coming to me will be nervous, apprehensive about talking about these issues but we try to be amenable. Happy people make better staff: it�s really a bit of a no-brainer for us,' he says.

Pierce says managers in his ten stores try to work around staff commitments, back-filling with other employees, even if it costs a bit more.

'We get flexibility from having permanent part-timers and casuals but even then we try to roster them at times that match their needs and then we get a greater commitment from them,' Pierce says.

Clear communication

It's important to start the conversation early. In job advertisements and interviews clarify the hours to be worked, leave arrangements and indicate where there might be flexibility. Give prospective employees a chance to ask you questions about the terms and conditions and an opportunity to talk about their circumstances if they so choose.

Remember anti-discrimination laws extend to behaviour during the lead-up to work, including job advertisements and interviews. This means certain questions should not be asked in interviews. For example, because the law protects people with parental, family or carer responsibilities from discrimination, an interviewer should not ask applicants if they have young children, and if so, how they intend to look after them if appointed to the job.

For more information, see Discrimination. For a best practice guide on non-discriminatory recruitment, see A Fair Go for Job Seekers (PDF 600kb).

If prospective or existing employees indicate they would benefit from flexibility, ask them for concrete examples of what kind of flexible arrangements would work for them. For example, see Flexibility around child care arrangements - what are employer rights and responsibilities?

Family Responisbilities - Guidelines for Employers and Employees, produced by Industrial Relations Victoria and the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission, outlines best practice responses and processes when responding to requests for flexibility.

Given the needs of the business and your legal obligations consider the sorts of flexibility your business can offer. Would it make sense to trial the arrangement and review it after a set amount of time?

If you decide to proceed with a proposed change to work arrangements, you should put any agreement in writing so everyone is clear about their obligations and make sure you include the duration of the arrangement (and if it is for a fixed length of time, what happens at the end?).

Once any flexible arrangements are put in place, check with the employee (and their supervisor) regularly to see how the arrangements are going. Be aware of the effect on co-workers and have a process in place to make sure that flexibility works for everyone. Communication is vital and it is important to let staff know they can come to you with any potential problems. Ask them to let you know if their circumstances change and respect their privacy.

Tips for becoming a flexible employer

• Trust people and be willing to give things a try.
• Treat people as individuals. Take the time to get to know them and listen to their concerns and ideas.
• Deal with problems and any concerns quickly.
• Document the process for considering applications for flexible work arrangements and make sure all managers and staff are aware how it works.
• Consider trial periods to see whether arrangements will work.
• Many men have family responsibilities too. Make sure the arrangements are equitable for all staff, not just women or those with children.
• Consider taking notes of any meetings and discussions and put any resulting agreements in writing.
• Review any arrangements regularly. If you have any concerns about a flexible working arrangement you have previously agreed to, raise these with the worker involved. If your concerns cannot be adequately addressed then you are justified in varying or terminating the arrangement.
• Do as you would be done by � put yourself in the other person�s position and think about your own experiences of managers in the past.
• Make sure your communications are effective.
• Remember to give credit where it is due, thank people for their efforts and celebrate their successes.

Adapted from Tips for Being a Best Boss on UK website Working Families