Shining The Light On Flexible Working!
Flexible working is a way of allowing flexibility around an employee’s working hours and working location. It allows staff to decide whether they’d prefer to work from home or whether they’d like to attend the office. They can also decide what hours they work (some businesses do operate with “core hours”) – so for example, employees have to work between 11 and 3 but can choose their own hours around that. After the pandemic, which left many employees no choice but to work from home, flexible working has become a more pertinent requirement for many people looking for employment.
What are the advantages of flexible working?
There are various benefits of flexible working, the most common one being reduced stress levels. Commuting to and from the office each day can be extremely stressful for some with long or disruptive journeys. Studies have shown that 86% of people feel that working remotely reduces their stress (CompareCamp.com). It could be argued that flexible working not only benefits employees, but businesses as well.
Employee advantages include:
- Less stress: between traffic, packed trains and parking problems, commuting is often stressful for lots of people. Therefore, flexible working might provide the option you need to make life slightly easier.
- Cost: working from home can help reduce the cost of petrol or any other commuting costs. Flexible hours might also be helpful when thinking about childcare costs.
- Job satisfaction: allowing your employees the freedom to manage their own workload, tasks and time can help them feel happier and more valued.
- Work/life balance: working from home could provide the support you might when managing your work and personal life.
Employer advantages include:
- Employee retention: many businesses find that offering the option of flexible working strengthens employee loyalty.
- Recruitment: offering flexible working often attracts more candidates and therefore, makes it easier to recruit.
- Stress: employees that have minimal stress, are less likely to go off sick or leave their job.
However, there are also disadvantages for both employers and employees of flexible working. Although the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, it’s only fair that both are explored to ensure you get the right fit for your business.
Employee disadvantages include:
- Work/life balance: whilst at home, it is a lot easier to fall into the trap of sitting behind your laptop for long periods of time, without regular breaks. Working over your hours can also become a habit if you don’t set boundaries for yourself.
- Staff communication: when working from home, it is more difficult to be collaborative with the team around you. Communication as a whole can also become difficult due to people working different hours etc.
Employer disadvantages include:
- Productivity: some employees may need more supervision in order to be productive, which can be difficult when working from home.
- Consistency: when addressing requests for flexible working, you must be consistent in your decisions as unfairness can cause problems in the workplace.
Overall, flexible working can be a fantastic tool for lots of employers, and employees. Not only does it allow a healthier relationship between the business and employee, it also has other benefits such as reduced running costs for the business, reduced turnover and increased productivity. It can also help provide you with an edge over competitors when recruiting.