Flexibility in the Workplace
What is a flexible workplace?
A flexible workplace is an environment that prioritizes and adapts to the needs of its employees, tweaking strategies and policies to accommodate changing needs. Flexible working can include adjusting an employee’s work hours, location, and methods of working to better suit their individual needs.
A truly flexible workplace empowers people (at the individual or team-level) to work however they’re most productive—prioritizing quality, productivity, and sustainability over traditional visible markers of productivity (such as in-office attendance).
Flexible work strategies are used to increase productivity and improve the satisfaction and happiness of employees, from individual contributors to executives.
What are some examples of flexibility in the workplace?
Workplace flexibility is all about providing the right conditions to accommodate employees. The following are common initiatives companies have implemented to improve flexibility at work:
- Remote working: Employees work from a location other than the office, such as their home or co-working space.
- Job carving: Employers change existing job descriptions and reallocate duties to suit the employee’s specific skills and abilities.
- Hybrid working: Employers allow their employees to divide their work time between the office and remote locations.
- Four-day workweeks: Employees work a shorter week (compressed or regular).
- Flex hours: Employees aren't constrained to be in the office at specific times—they can arrive and leave as early or as late as they desire.
- Unlimited paid time off (PTO): Employees can take unlimited paid vacation days as needed, with no fixed number of days each year.
What are the benefits of flexibility in the workplace?
Both employees and employers can benefit from a more flexible work environment. Here are some potential advantages for both sides.
Employee benefits
Flexible workplaces have more obvious benefits for employees since the added flexibility is designed to make their lives easier. Here are just a few ways they benefit:
- Better work-life balance: Flexible workplaces help employees balance their work responsibilities with their life at home. For example, offering remote working benefits allows them to work wherever they need to on any given day.
- More adaptive work environments: When work flexibility is championed in a company’s everyday operations, employees can become more adaptive to how they complete their work. That could mean better collaboration or even the discovery of new and innovative ways to work.
Employer benefits
While they may not experience direct positive results, employers still have a lot to gain from allowing greater job flexibility in their employee’s lives.
- Improved employee retention: Happy employees make long-term employees. Around 76% of US hybrid workers reported an improved work-life balance as a result of hybrid working. This flexibility at work can drive employee engagement, satisfaction and, in turn, retention.
- Increased productivity: When employees can control the variables of their working conditions, they can also relax and have a better attitude about their work. This improved positive attitude can then lead to improved focus and productivity.
- Better cost-efficiency: When fewer people commute to an office building, employers can start renting smaller spaces and spend less on monthly utility bills. These reduced overhead costs can contribute to significant savings down the line.
How to create a flexible work environment
A flexible workplace offers employees the freedom to work how—and sometimes when—they want. Therefore, if you want more flexibility in the workplace, you need to leverage practices that allow that freedom. Here are some initiatives your company can champion to encourage better flexibility at work:
Limit how much salaried employees work
Too often, salaried employees feel like they need to work extra hours to complete their assignments. When taken to the extreme, like working over 50 hours a week, it can lead to overworked, underpaid, and unproductive employees that may burnout. Encouraging employees to only work their allotted 40 hours a week can help them feel more productive and satisfied in their roles.
Offer flexible working hours
The nine-to-five model doesn’t work for every employee, so allow them to create the schedule that works best for them. This may include leaving the office early and finishing work later in the day, or reducing their weekly commitment to just four days a week.
Allow employees to work remotely
Many employees find working remotely helps improve their work-life balance since it removes commute times and allows them to address needs at home more easily. While there has been a push for employees to return to the office, many people enjoy working from home to maintain a healthy work-life balance.