Industry Update: Fully-funded programmes to support organisations be a fair work employer or employer of choice

Employees today are looking for roles that respect their time, their wellbeing and their lives outside of work. And yet for service- based organisations, shifts are often at odds with what people want and need as they seek career progression or new opportunities. So how do you design flexibility into these roles to match what people need with service delivery?

Timewise is a social enterprise with a mission to improve access to fair, secure and flexible work, because we know that having choice and control over working hours helps people have healthy working lives. Thanks to funding from the Robertson Trust, we are looking to partner with organisations in Scotland with a largely shift-based workforce who are looking to improve recruitment and/or retention and want to be a fair work employer or employer of choice.

There are two programmes for employers to take part in with a limited number of fully-funded places on each:

1.The first is a development programme providing individual leaders/managers with the skills and models to understand and explore how to improve work-life compatibility in frontline roles and sectors (job security, shift patterns, scheduling etc) –there are 12 places available in hospitality for a series of online workshops, starting in September 2025.

2.The second is to join us as a ‘pioneer partner’ with places for three employers to access hands-on support to pilot new approaches to improving recruitment, absence rates and/or retention. Again there will be a focus here on the role of improvements to work-life compatibility, but the starting point would be the issues facing the employers; with a bespoke diagnostic and support to provide intelligence and support with any other issues that arise.

We are looking to hear from HR professionals, operations managers, business owners, team leads and anyone involved in recruitment, staffing, or role design.

Sign up for the development programme here, or contact nicola.pease@timewise.co.uk if you are interested in being a pioneer partner.