productive (completed 13.5% more calls per day),
less likely to quit (turnover was split in half for the
telecommuting workgroup when compared to the
control group), and happier employees. Furthermore,
the organization saved over $1,900 per employee
because of the reduced overhead costs
2
. By offering
flexibility, employees will be more productive and
concentrate on their tasks while on the clock. It
will also show employees that their employers care
about them and acknowledge that their personal
lives are just as important as work projects.
Flexibility also contributes to
employee wellness
when it comes to commuting to and from work.
Whether you’re driving through traffic, sitting on a
bus, or taking the train to work, commutes can be
stressful. As a result, employees may arrive frazzled
and need time to decompress before jumping into
their projects. According to a recent study in the
New York Times
, the distance an employee
commuted to work had an impact on their health.
The research showed that as commute times
increased, physical activity and cardiovascular
fitness decreased and blood pressure, body weight,
waist circumference, and metabolic risk elevated
3
.
The results indicate that allowing employees to work
from home, or come in earlier to avoid traffic, will help
reduce commute times and strengthen employee
wellness.
Developing a Flexible Work Environment
While it is apparent flexibility is beneficial for both
the organization and employees, developing a
successful
flexible work policy
at an organization
can be confusing. The first step includes clearly
defining what flexibility will look like at your
organization, including down to the work group
level. Some groups may not have the ability to
offer as much flexibility, simply due to the nature
of the job. For example, retail workers may need
to be at their stores for shifts with inflexible start
and stop times. However, by clearly defining the
parameters of flexibility at your workplace, you can
help reduce any feelings of unfairness or confusion
for employees. When developing the plan, make
sure you include employees in the discussion. They
are on the front lines and will have additional insight
you can use to ensure the policy will be effective.
Once you have developed a flexible work policy for
your organization, you must also
train managers
and leaders
to promote the policy with their
employees. At my recent presentation at the HR
West
®
Conference, I noticed participants entering
the room and sitting patiently looking at their smart
phones, reading over material, and waiting for my
presentation to begin. Very few people interacted
with their neighbors, despite having the time and
opportunity to do so. After observing this, I decided
to try an experiment. I started my presentation by
asking everyone to stand up and meet their neighbor.
People immediately began interacting, and seemed
to be genuinely happy that I had encouraged them
to do so. As soon as I promoted and encouraged
networking, employees participated and the
majority enjoyed the activity. This experiment
highlights the importance of encouragement for
unfamiliar policies. The lesson learned is that it is
important to train managers on the policies and
make them feel comfortable talking to employees
about flexibility. Highlight why flexibility is important,
and how it can benefit workers. Managers should
also take advantage of the flexible work options,
to lead by example. Employees will then see that it
is fully sanctioned, and may be more likely to take
advantage of the options.
Once the program is in place, regularly
evaluate the
success of the policy
to ensure it remains effective.
For example, during my presentation at the HR
West
®
Conference, I asked how many people have a
flexible work policy and over one-third of the group
raised their hands. I then asked if their organizations
tracked the success of the policy, and only one
person raised his hand. To track how the policy is
being implemented, one popular practice is to add
a work/balance item to your employee engagement
survey. You can then compare the employee
responses to the workgroup’s employee engage-
ment score, profit margins, customer satisfaction
scores, turnover, absenteeism, and performance
reviews. Also, consider doing regular check-ins with
employees to determine how the policy is working.
Ask employees if they think any changes should be
made based on their experience with the policy. By
continually refining the plan based on feedback, you
will be able to create the most effective flexibility plan.
Flexibility Best Practices
When developing flexibility options, your organization
can offer the following to increase engagement and
productivity. Remember, ask employees what they
are most interested in when it comes to flexibility;
they will be the most knowledgeable about what will
work for them.
•
Compressed work week –
allow employees to
work longer days at the beginning of the week
in order to have Friday free to run personal
errands or simply relax.
•
Summer hours -
as the weather gets warmer,
employees may have a harder time focusing
on their work as they think of baseball games,
lounging by the pool, or grilling out. Offering
summer hours on Fridays will allow employees
to start the weekend a little early.
•
Choice in scheduling –
allow employees to
choose their own schedules. Permit workers to
select when they would like to work, based on
their personal obligations, as well as when they
feel they are most productive.
•
Flexible start and stop times –
it may be
helpful to define a blanket policy (which may be
refined based on specific exceptions) for start
and stop times. For example, allow employees
the option of coming to work anytime between
7 a.m. and 9 a.m. The time they start working
and how long a lunch break they take will then
determine what time they leave.
Offering flexible work arrangements is a great way
to strengthen employee engagement, and provides
a great return-on-investment when it comes to pro-
ductivity, discretionary effort, and other benefits of
having a culture of engagement. Consider imple-
menting more flexibility into your culture today.
HR
David W. Miller is a Senior Consultant for Avatar
Solutions and specializes in talent management,
data analysis, and communication engagements.
He is in charge of administering surveys,
facilitating employee feedback sessions, and
providing senior leadership with results-oriented
advisory services. In his time at Avatar Solutions,
David has facilitated roughly 300 employee
feedback and training sessions, as well as
nearly 100 action planning sessions. Further, he has conducted research
to validate and confirm Avatar Solutions’ historical data and survey
instruments, and crafted numerous final reports to succinctly explain the
findings of employee data and provide action items for improvement.
David has presented on topics such as eliciting and interpreting behaviors,
emotional intelligence, and motivating the multi-generational workforce.
Leadership
1
Farley, J. (2013). Workplace Flexibility is Top Consideration for Nearly Three-Fourths of U.S. Working Adults. Retrieved May 13, 2014, from
2
Bloom, N. (2014, January - February). To Raise Productivity, Let More Employees Work from Home. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved May 13, 2014 from
3
Brody, J. E. (2013, October 28). Commuting’s Hidden Cost. The New York Times. Retrieved May 13, 2014 from
