Work Is What You Do, It’s Not A Place

The ability to work flexibly and have the empowerment and autonomy to carry out your work is a desirable work ethic that can benefit both employees and employers.

So, why is it that there are still numerous organisations out there who just can’t or won’t see how everyone can benefit?

Speaking to an old Human Resources colleague, she had told me that her Chief Exec. had refused point blank to even consider flexible working, fearing that employees would take advantage and nothing would get done.

“I just don’t understand him” she said. “After all, work is what you do, it’s not a place!”.

Of course, for some people, their role pretty much dictates where they have to work. You wouldn’t expect to visit your dentist to have a filling, in his potting shed!

Seriously though, the working world is moving and changing, and with such busy lives and rapid pace of living, people are looking to have a more flexible approach to getting the job done, to allow for that ever-attractive work / life balance.

So, if service provision allows, and resources are available, why not introduce and encourage people to take up flexible working options.

Let’s have a look at some of the benefits:-

For your people

• Work / life balance. Allows the chance to fit other commitments and activities around work and make better use of free time.
• Responsive to change. Workplace dynamics are always changing and resisting these changes can lead to unnecessary stress. Recognising and embracing flexibility will help you adapt to difficult situations more easily.
• Commuting issues. Reduces the amount of time and money spent on getting to and from work as well as the stresses that come with commuting in the ‘rush hour’.
• Child-care cost. Depending on the flexible working hours schedule, employees may be able to rely on child-care less and therefore cut the cost.
• Burnout overload. Having control over when you can take a break without incurring the wrath of the boss can alleviate burnout overload.

For you:-

• It’s a win-win. It’s good for business. It builds employee trust, commitment, loyalty and attracts and hangs onto key talent.
• Good management decision. Managers need to adapt to changes in workloads, targets and service provision. Together, employees and employers can look at work and personal needs in a balanced approach which can be mutually beneficial.
• Gives a boost. Flexible working increases engagement, productivity, morale and commitment and loyalty levels.
• Customer service. Offering varying flexible working hours could mean your organisation can remain open for longer, providing better customer service.
• Reduces absenteeism. Your people are less likely to have time off through absenteeism, meaning less cost to your organisation of providing cover and sickness payments.
• Employer of choice. Having a family-friendly flexible working policy with flexible working schedules, you will become an employer of choice.

So, introducing and encouraging the use of flexible working and allowing your people to have the empowerment and autonomy to do so is something that employees are looking for and something that will benefit organisations overall.

Our expert team has been providing employee engagement and satisfaction surveys for over 20 years. If you would like to know more about how we can help your organisation with employee research, then give us a call on +44 (0)1255 870735 or contact us via our website.