Flexible Work and the EMPLOYER Experience
“Flexible work” means different things to different organizations, but every flexible model stems from one core idea: Employees know when, where, and how they work best. For many, the best option falls outside the rigid structure of a formal schedule. How can employers accommodate evolving employee expectations, create a people-centered workplace, and innovate for progress and future growth?
Give your employees a say in shaping their workday. Our remote work consulting and strategy experts have helped many organizations implement new flexible schedule ideas for employees, by thinking through:
What does flexible work look like?
Popular 9-to-5 alternatives include:
Flextime, or adjusted hours. Flextime grants employees choices regarding when to begin and end their shifts, allowing them to adjust for earlier or later hours, nights, or weekends — whenever they feel most available and productive.
Alternative schedules. An alternative schedule may differ from a traditional model while still requiring adherence to a shift chosen by the employer. Typical alternative schedules include first (i.e., day), second (i.e., evening), and third (i.e., overnight) shifts. Employees can change shifts to suit their needs.
Compressed schedule. A compressed workweek can include four 10-hour days and three days off, or three 12-hour shifts with four days off. These schedules are common in healthcare and adaptive, to varying degrees, across business and industry.
100% remote. Remote work, also referred to as telecommuting or virtual work, allows employees to perform their work outside the traditional office setting. They may work from home, the other side of the world, or a new location every day — anywhere they can securely access the systems necessary to perform their duties.
Job sharing. In a job-sharing arrangement, a full-time position is split among two or more people, with each employee covering a portion of the total hours. Job sharing requires communication and collaboration among employees who share a position, but when managed with intention, it allows for a degree of schedule flexibility.
Split shift. An employee working a split shift may take one or more long breaks during the day to complete a full shift in multiple mini shifts. This schedule supports employees who attend classes or drive children to and from school.
Unlimited vacation. For this model, clarity and communication are essential. Policies and procedures must be transparent, accessible, and understood by all involved, but when it works, this option offers employees an enhanced work-life balance.
Win-win situation
Flexible schedule ideas for employees can be managed to work to both employee and employer advantage. Employees with flexible work schedules report less stress, increased job satisfaction, improved health, and fewer job-related expenses. Because they enjoy a better work-life balance, there is more time for family, education, creative pursuits, community involvement, and simple rest and relaxation.
Flexible work also supports employees who lead less structured lives. Parents, for example, often need schedule flexibility to attend school events or ferry their children to extracurricular activities. And of course, flexible work cuts an employee’s work-related expenses for gas, vehicle maintenance, lunches, snacks, and wardrobe.
The advantages of flexible work aren’t limited to employees. Our remote work consulting and strategy experts know that employers can realize benefits as well, including:
Fewer employee sick days, more productivity, and increased retention.
Higher rates of employee satisfaction, lower rates of attrition, and more response to recruiting efforts.
Fewer full-time, on-site employees for lower utility costs and facility management expenses.
Improved employee engagement and more alignment with organizational goals.
Get flexible
Offering your employees options of this sort may seem like a stretch, but odds of success increase when your company commits to a people-centered strategy for implementing flexible work. Our remote work consulting and strategy team recommends implementing strategic steps, including:
Setting clear expectations. Communicate expectations and boundaries clearly before implementing flexible work. Include comprehensive information about schedule guidelines and conditions (e.g., required hours), meeting procedures, open communication, regular feedback, and available resources.
Providing appropriate technology. Flexible work models depend on remote and mobile technology. Improve employee engagement, productivity, and efficiency with secure access to the appropriate tools.
Establishing guided autonomy. For flexible work to succeed, employees need self-discipline, confidence, and employer trust to work without on-site supervision.
Training team leaders and managers. A flexible work model requires flexible leadership. Team leaders need a range of leadership skills for communicating with employees, tracking production, and providing clear, consistent feedback.
Running a pilot program. Test the feasibility of a flexible work policy. Offer flex positions to a range of employees at different levels across various departments. Use your trial run to assess how company teams function with some employees working off-site at least part of the time. Review pilot program results with flexibility in mind. Evaluate to find areas where a tweak, or even a sizable adjustment, can improve outcomes and make flexible work more feasible.
Options and autonomy demonstrate respect for your employees as whole human beings — with responsibilities and personal lives beyond the boundaries of their professional identity and its role in your company’s success.
How does flexible work fit into your organizational flow to create a people-centered employee experience? Contact Fitch Consulting to learn more.