What was unheard of at one time in the workplace, is fast becoming more of a norm with employers realising that flexibility at the workplace allows its employees to thrive — it’s only possible in companies with high trust cultures. The ability to work whenever and wherever with unlimited time off and flexible hours is a far cry from the typical employee sitting at their desk for eight hours a day and five to six days a week.
The Covid-19 pandemic changed work culture when everyone was forced to embrace workplace flexibility and many employers decided to stay that way for good. Companies like Accenture recently revamped its leave policy to simplify leave management and acknowledges that different employees have different commitments and situations. It gives employees a way for them to take time off when needed and balance their work responsibilities and personal obligations. Qwick, another flexible workplace, has recently switched to a 4-day work week.
Flexibility at the workplace believes in the philosophy that employees’ productivity is not determined by when or where they perform their work. Rather than a rigid schedule, workplace flexibility caters to the individual needs of employees and gives importance to work-life balance and individual well-being.
Trust is a key factor in a flexible workplace where the management trusts its employees to perform their work to the best of their ability in a non-traditional structure and provides the environment and resources required for it. Inspirant is one such organisation with a focus on supporting employees, letting them set their own personal goals in performance reviews or giving them the freedom to take time off whenever they need.
In today’s work environment employees are not only asking for more workplace flexibility but are resigning from jobs in search of it. Companies have realised that without flexibility they cannot hope to get high-quality applicants. Also, flexible work helps to build a diverse team of top talent as the location and hours of the recruits aren’t the criteria any longer.
According to a data source by Great Place to Work, 57 per cent of employees who enjoy flexibility at the workplace report higher psychological health than 49 per cent of employees who work fully onsite five days a week. 63 per cent of employees who work remotely were more satisfied with their work-life balance than those working onsite. When employees know they are trusted and are able to have a healthy work-life balance, they’ll be more productive and engaged and less likely to quit. They will give more to the job as compared to employees who work onsite.
Of course, there are always cons to everything. Companies with flexible workplaces are only sometimes able to create fair promotion practices. Research conducted by Great Place to Work in September 2022 reveals that remote employees are 6 per cent less likely to believe promotions are fair at their workplace. They are also less likely to feel that they make an impact or are connected to the company mission. When employees are at work at different times, resolving urgent issues can be an issue. Flexible work hours often result in employees working longer hours at home or struggling to set a schedule leading to burnout along with feelings of social disconnect and loneliness.
Most companies with a flexible work environment have shown an increase in productivity and profit margins which just goes to show the role trust in employees has on work ethics. Companies agree that flexibility in the workplace is very important.
References:
- Accenture India rolls out flexible leave policy tailored to employees’ ‘small and big’ needs | The Economic Times | August 2023
- What Is Workplace Flexibility? Definitions & Examples from Top Workplaces | Great Place to Work | September 2022
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