Tweet

Trust is a two-way street

Written by: Mandy Garner

Article Overview: Giving employees a little flexibility and trusting them to do their hours can reap companies a lot of benefits, says Rachel Fellows, UK Corporate Communications Manager at Kellogg's.

Trust is a two-way street

Has Rachel Fellows found the perfect work life balance which allows her both to have quality time with her four-year-old daughter and not have to put her career on the backburner?

Rachel is UK Corporate Communications Manager at Kellogg's and has been in post for two years. She describes her work as "hugely flexible" despite having to make a 100-mile round trip to and from work most days. She is not alone in doing this. Her manager commutesa long distanceand also has children. "He's very understanding and wants me to enjoy both my career and my family," says Rachel.

This means she is trusted to work from home whenever she needs to. She tries to limit working from home to a Friday as she says the amount of trust placed in her by her manager and by the company means she wants to go the extra mile for them.

Her manager's attitude is reflected in the company ethos. When she first joined from a post at a supermarket chain she was given a type of ID card and told to clock in and out. "I though it was a little bit spooky at first," she says. "Then it was explained to me that it was to ensure that staff did not overwork."

Kellogg's, she says, expects high standards, but does not want its staff to burn out and wants them to have a life outside of work. It expects that people should get their work done within the hours set down in their contract. If they are having to work late, either they have too much work or they are not organising it properly. Core hours

Kellogg's is very flexible, says Rachel, in that it sets down core hours of 10-12 noon and 2-4pm. "You can work flexibly around these," she says. For instance, she adds: "On Mondays themotorway I useis the most horrible place on earth so I have breakfast and a chat with my daughter and drop her at school before I tackle it when it is calmer and I get to work by 10am and stay a little later. On Fridays if I go into work I leave before the rush hour."

Every month her hours are reviewed and if she has overworked she can get those hours back again through taking up to six flex periods in a year. "The flexibility means I can share the school pick-ups and drop-offs," she says. "And on Fridays I can walk my daughter to school and go to the park. The technology allows me to work remotely and, for instance, take part in teleconferences from my kitchen. It is incredibly valuable. I am 39 with 20 years of experience and that trust is priceless. It makes you want to give that extra bit of goodwill."

All employees at Kellogg's have this flexibility, whether they are parents or young singletons who balance work and hobbies or other responsibilities. "It has to be the norm," says Rachel. She adds that some people flex their hours over the whole year and take bigger breaks in the summer. The company also operates a summer hours policy which means from May to September you can leave early on a Friday if you have done your core hours. You can also buy extra holidays or sell them.

"Kellogg's has a huge amount of respect for personal time and ensures that this does not mean you cannot be ambitious," she says.

Rachel believes this reaps them many benefits in terms of working parents in particular. "We tend to be more efficient and effective in our work and in general bring something extra. I do believe the things I have learnt as a parent have made me better in my career," she says.

Rachel thinks that by openly acknowledging such issues, companies like Kellogg's are changing the face of work so that it is measures by performance targets rather than bums on seats. "It's a friendly, supportive and high-performing environment," she says.

Related Articles
  Bottom Line: This is Not the Bottom of the Financial Crisis
  A Tryst with Trust
  Without Truth You Can’t Have Trust
  Personal Branding: Do You Need To Shift Your Focus?
  Know Your Market: Sell Umbrellas When It's Raining

Article Tags: attitude, backburner, clock, company ethos, core hours, corporate communications manager, extra mile, fellows, fridays, horrible place, kellogg, little bit, long distance, nbsp, place on earth, quality time, rush hour, supermarket chain, work life balance, working from home



Related Forum Posts
Re: i get really, really pissed off when . . . . - ..when people are ignorant of other people around them, so they talk aloud on their cell phone in the street car, or on the street, or simply farting whenever they want no matter who is around them.... (Nov 28)
Re: Essential Leadership skills - Vigilance Trust An ability to DELEGATE
Re: How much is too much competition? - In Africa we have a saying that " the sky is too wide for birds to fly without colliding with one another." This is always when we talk of competition. Every business we have their own clients even if they are located on the same street.
Re: Welcome New Moderators in Addition to Our Fine Team! - Hey Terriz, Very nice to meet you . . . . Acapella ? . . . .Very cool. I used to listen to my uncle and his friends sing acapella on a Brooklyn NY street corner. Great memories . . .Great sound. Thanks Barry
Re: Bad credit guaranteed home loan? - Lending money to people with bad credit was one of the biggest things that put our economy under and many lenders out of business. I'd say if you have this opportunity take it now before it goes away. Trust me, if there are any of these programs left (and don't expect a low interest rate if your credit is bad) they won't be around for ever. At ANY interest rate.


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

RULE YOUR BUSINESS LIKE A SHINE STAR

E Mail Marketing Campaigns

Soda Vending Machine = Energy Hog

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.