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Flexible Working Options: Why Have Them?

When it comes to getting the best out of employees every day, it pays to have flexible working options.

Not every member of staff likes to work the same way and that’s why a flexible working policy is so beneficial. Some staff love the routine of always traveling to the same office environment and knowing very clearly the hours they are expected to work. The structure helps them plan their lives and be at their most effective by allocating work to a specific location and clearly defined time slots. For others, the notion of a fixed structure may feel restrictive and can actually distract them from achieving their most focused and creative frame of mind. Some people are at their most effective in the morning while others perform better later in the day. Some prefer to work in quiet surroundings while others prefer a bustling atmosphere. Others still, work well under all of these circumstances but only when the time is right for them.

A change of scene

Different environments can provide different stimuli so to help sustain productivity, some workers like to stay on the move throughout the week. They say this helps keep their energy levels high and prevent them from becoming bored and distracted which can happen if they remain in one environment for too long. Providing these people with the opportunity to work in different locations within a building, use a ‘hot-desk’ facility to work in different buildings or different cities or allowing them to work at home or even in a local coffee shop can greatly enhance their effectiveness. Sometimes traveling to work can help focus the mind. On other days, avoiding the commute can save hours in lost productivity.

Time is of the essence

Offering even small concessions with the parameters of the working day can have a huge impact on how people perform. Flexible start times, finish times and lunchtimes provide staff with the opportunity to get to the gym, spend quality time with the family, do something social or even get ahead with some domestic chores. Breaking up the working day with short bursts of non-work related tasks can also help with creativity and productivity and can reduce stress levels by providing the brain with effective periods of recovery.

These days the line between work and life is a hazy one and in many cases there’s a perception that the balance is skewed in favour of work. A little creative thought around flexible working can help staff to redress this imbalance and achieve much more with the same number of hours at their disposal.

Flexible working can have a dramatic influence on the state of mind of employees and can greatly influence how positively, or otherwise, they view their progress both at work and beyond. After all, for most people, the success or otherwise of each day or each week isn’t only based around what they achieve for their employer. Quite the contrary in fact. Chances are that if they achieve everything they need to for work but as a consequence of this miss out on their domestic activities, their exercise, healthy eating, sleep, and some of the fun things they like to spend time on and that help to create a balance in life, this can breed resentment over time.

So offering the opportunity for every individual to take some responsibility for their own scheduling can make a huge difference to how people feel when they review their achievements at the end of each week. Giving people the chance to plan their working hours so they can fulfill all their office obligations as well as attend to other important aspects of their life means they will feel more relaxed as the week progresses, be more effective as a result, and more satisfied by the time the weekend arrives. It also means they’ll have a more positive attitude towards their employer.

Test the water

There can be a fear with flexible working that some staff members may take advantage. Providing the system is planned well, however, with careful consideration to how you roll it out, to whom, and when, along with clear parameters around what’s acceptable and what isn’t when it comes to specific times that people will be expected to be available to take part in necessary meetings or phone calls, then it can work well.

If you’re unsure if flexible working is for your business, consider setting up a pilot scheme in order to gauge the response. Indeed a pilot can be a great way to encourage staff to treat the initiative with respect. If you communicate the conditions of the trial clearly, along with the potential benefits for everyone involved, you’ll quickly get a feel for how people are responding and you can plan your next move.

Bear in mind also that you might be surprised by what you discover. I recently heard a report from one office where staff in the past were unhappy about their long working hours. Management took the decision to offer the choice to work longer on Monday to Thursday and take Friday off. The result was that working patterns didn’t change very much at all and most staff continued to work well beyond their contracted hours, including on Fridays, but the mood of the office has changed dramatically for the better as people now feel they have a choice in the matter of how long they work rather than it being imposed upon them.

About Author: Jeff Archer is Director of The Tonic, a corporate wellness company specialising in helping people achieve optimum energy and performance, every day.