It’s no
secret that flexible working has proven to be extremely beneficial for
employees, with the reduction of commuting time, financial cost and carbon. So
what about the employers?
Flexible
working has the capacity to bring huge benefits to both parties and it cannot
be disputed that this type of working is on the rise.
So, shouldn’t
more companies be getting on board with flexible working?
Many
companies currently struggle to see the benefits that enabling flexible working
for their employees can bring them, and what their lawful obligations are when
making adjustments to their working time.
According to
UK law, the right to request
flexible working arrangements extends to all employees, not just to those who are
parents or carers.
So, how do we
define flexible working?
Well, it is
considered any working pattern that is not the ‘norm’ for business; aka; the
standard 9-5. This definition is broad enough to include requests to start or
finish earlier/later, or to do some (or all) work from home.
There are a
few requirements for everyone to meet when requesting flexible working
arrangements.
The employee
must have been working for the company for a minimum of 26 weeks and not made a
prior flexible working request in the last 12 months. Also, by this law,
employers must reasonably consider each flexible working request based on its
own merits.
While as an
employer, you must consider each flexible working request based on its own facts,
the employee must also only make requests that are reasonable. The employer
should only deny the request if there is a valid business reason. For example,
if it means you cannot meet your customer demands or it would have a direct,
adverse effect on output or productivity.
Alright, so
that being said, what are these benefits to the employer?
Employees
can be more productive
According
to The State of
Flexible Work Arrangements, a study done by Workest, 78% of employees said that
flexible working arrangements made them more productive.
That’s a
significant benefit for the businesses who choose to allow their employees to
work on shift patterns around their other life commitments.
Employees who
work from home feel a greater desire to plan their day, order their thoughts
and actions, and of course, working this way means cutting out their commute.
This means they may start work earlier and finish later than if they had
travelled to and from the office each day, removing the need to rush out the
office at the end of the day, in order to join the flood of traffic to get
home.
It
attracts and retains the right talent
According to
the Undercover
Recruiter, having flexible
working hours was among the top 3 things most desired by the millennial
workforce. Employers who offer such flexible working arrangements find
themselves ranking as the most desired of this generation.
Making the
choice to be flexible with working patterns, start and finishing times and
allowing the option to work from home, gives employers access to a whole new
workforce.
With the
generation of tech-savvy employees at your fingertips, making those flexible
working decisions feels like a strong, positive move for organizations. " Virtual Training to train the trainer"
Driven
employees are more creative
If you give
employees the freedom to work around their life commitments, you will find that
they are typically more innovative and creative.
Giving them
the space to think and create, rather than be burdened by the stresses of
fitting their life around their work, opens up a new filter of freedom, which
in turn will bring new ideas and energy into your business.
So there you
have it. 3 key benefits for adopting flexible working arrangements into your
business.
Afterall,
when both employers and employees are able to work together and find a harmonious
balance between worlds, everyone's a winner.
