Marks & Spencer will offer employees flexible working models in the future. The British retail company announced on Tuesday that these should enable employees to achieve a good balance between their work and private lives.
M&S “Worklife” starts in January and enables retail managers to choose freely between different flexible working models. You can therefore choose between full-time and part-time models, as well as a compressed four-day week. Alternatively, there is also the option of distributing nine working days over a two-week period. These models were already tested in 100 branches before the launch.
Marks & Spencer Launches “Job Share Finder”
In addition to the shortened working weeks, M&S also offers employees the opportunity to find colleagues with whom they can share a position using a new “Job Share Finder”. The platform allows colleagues in all branches and support centers to upload a CV and get in touch with potential job sharing partners. The idea is said to have been inspired by female employees returning from maternity leave who wanted more flexibility in their jobs.
“We want M&S to be a great place to work and shop – this means we have committed colleagues with a good work-life balance,” said Sarah Findlater, Group HR Director at M&S. “Retail is a fast-moving industry, but that shouldn’t mean missing out on the moments that matter.”
The employees of Gerry Weber will also be able to organize their working hours flexibly in the coming year, said managing director Angelika Schindler-Obenhaus on Linkedin on Friday. Employees have the opportunity to choose a four or five-day week each week.