How A Flexible Work Arrangement Can Benefit You and Your Employees
Change happens. In uncertain times, the only thing we can be sure about is that change will occur whether we like it or not. To deal with change, you must learn to be flexible and adjust accordingly. This attitude applies to all aspects of our life, including at work.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the workplace has seen some drastic changes in a short amount of time. Now more than ever, employees demand flexible work arrangements (FWAs) from their organisations. Unprecedented events have made them rethink priorities and take stock of what’s truly important.
Work-life balance has become more of a priority for many employees, as people had to adjust to integrating their home life with work due to pandemic lockdowns. Individuals with children or who live with senior citizens, for example, found that they want their work schedules to be flexible to help them have more time to spend caring for their family’s needs.
In Singapore, a report from the National University of Singapore’s Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) found that 41-52% of the employees surveyed felt that FWAs should be the new norm for workplaces in Singapore. In April 2022, the tripartite composed of the Ministry of Manpower, the Singapore National Employers Federation and the National Trades Union Congress released a statement encouraging companies to continue promoting FWAs in their workplaces, suggesting that it should be a permanent feature.
Companies should take this clamour for workplace flexibility seriously or potentially risk losing employees. The IPS report reveals that employees who prefer FWAs are inclined to look for new employment if required to return to the office. Even those who aren’t very optimistic about the job market – around 32% of the respondents – would still consider looking for another job if they’re forced to return to the old normal.
What Is Workplace Flexibility? Workplace flexibility is the company’s willingness and ability to adapt to change. The responsibility to be flexible doesn’t just fall on the employer, but on the employee, too. In a flexible workplace, both the needs of the employer and the employee are met. There are mainly two types of work flexibility:
Informal flexibility – An occasional setup agreed upon by just the employee and their manager. A work arrangement that doesn’t impact other people in the workplace. For example, a parent could ask their employer if they could leave work early to attend their child’s school event.
Formal flexibility – An ongoing arrangement that impacts the larger organisation. Examples are remote working programs, changes in overall work schedule, etc.
Consulting firm McKinsey & Company identifies three elements of work flexibility: where, when and how. By addressing these three questions in the workplace, employers can gain their workers’ trust and loyalty.
Flexible work schedules – Gone are the days when logging in more hours means you’re a more productive worker. Stanford University Economics Professor John Pencavel found that productivity per hour declines when an individual logs over 50 hours a week. Having the option to have a flexible work schedule, whether that’s flextime, shorter work weeks or staggered work shifts can help employees manage their time wisely and be more productive.
A flexible amount of work hours – Part-time work, reduced hour schedules, or job sharing (e.g., having two people work in the same job) can be a better option for people who can’t afford to devote a lot of time at work.
Flexible work locations – Whether it’s working remotely, working at the office, or having a hybrid setup, more and more individuals would like to have the option to choose where they work. According to McKinsey, nine out of 10 employees who left the workforce and later returned said that having control of where they work is very crucial and can be a deciding factor in taking on a role.
Why Is Workplace Flexibility Necessary? A flexible workplace is ideal for the whole organisation, benefiting both the employer and the employee. A flexible workplace can:
Help employees achieve better work-life balance. By giving the workers options on how, where and when to work, they can optimize their time between work and home life.
Have the potential to increase employee satisfaction. Empowering employees by giving them control over their work schedules can result in higher employee satisfaction and might make them more loyal to the company. It can lessen employee turnover in the organisation, as well.
Lead to an increase in productivity. Once the employee finds the best work solution that accommodates their needs, the less anxious they will be about balancing home and work life. It helps them focus more on the work during office hours because they don’t need to worry about anything else.
Help with the company’s overhead costs. With employees not required to come to the office all the time, the employer can cut down expenses on the office space they no longer need.
Strengthen a company’s reputation. An employer that actively listens to their employee’s needs shows how much they value their workers. This trait can prove attractive to many job seekers and may be the deciding factor as to whether they’ll join the organisation or not.
How Can Workplaces Improve Their Flexibility? The whole company should be involved in creating a more flexible workplace. An office-wide flexible mindset – one that responds well to change – is necessary to create workplace flexibility.
Talk about it. A flexible employer tries to accommodate their employees’ varying needs and working styles. At the same time, employees should be able to voice their needs and expectations so that together they can create the best solution that works for everyone.
Encourage upskilling. Employees can be flexible by learning about new skills or trends that can make them more adaptable to change. Flexible employees are an asset to any company because they can easily adapt to different situations.
Cultivate a creative and supportive environment. Managers should develop a supportive environment for their teams – one where employees aren’t afraid to share their ideas and concerns. If new ideas thrive, companies would not have a problem being flexible when change requires them to be.
Pursue positive thinking. Change can be difficult, and it’s normal to be bothered by the challenge. But don’t let the problem overtake you – try to stay on top of things by practising a positive mindset. Staying positive can help you look for solutions that can address the issue instead of feeling burdened by the problem.
With all the changes the work landscape has undergone over the past few years, we can see that the flexible workplace is the way of the future. Employees can achieve better work-life balance while companies can increase workforce satisfaction and productivity. Organisations would benefit from adopting flexible work arrangements sooner rather than later. There is no going back, only forward.
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