Flexible working hours can be a great way of helping your employees find a better work-life balance and as a result perform better at work.
They are increasingly popular in the modern working place and becoming more and more common across different industries. However, many businesses owners and managers have concerns about the benefits of flexible working. That’s why it’s important to understand if they are right for your business and your employees.
The concerns behind flexible working hours are understandable. Many businesses believe it to be costly and unproductive, with a detrimental impact on the quality of work. However, studies carried out over the last 5 years show the opposite. They resoundingly point to flexible working hours as the indicator for increased productivity and motivation in the workplace.
Flexible working can take on many forms, whether it be flexitime, shift working, or job sharing, so make sure you know what you want to offer to your employees and what the related benefits could be.
The benefits include:
Great recruitment tool.
Top-talent will now look for flexible working hours and conditions as a key driver as to whether they choose to work for a company or not. This trait is particularly significant in Millennials who crave flexibility. Having a clear, open and honest flexible working policy can attract some great talent to your business.
Improved productivity.
There isn’t a magic formula which says the best work is achieved between the hours of 9am to 5pm. In fact, if you ask any CEO they will often tell you their best work is done outside of these hours. Different people work better at different times and by allowing them to choose when they work, companies can see a significant boost in productivity. It’s not also possible to have free reign over choosing when to work but if an employee ask if they can start earlier in order to finish earlier, with a clear case about how they will get more done because of it, then it’s an argument worth listening to.
Better work-life balance.
This was a big driver behind employees forcing Starbucks to change their scheduling policy back in 2014. Employees want, and should have, a good work-life balance. Being able to recover and recharge their batteries allows them to perform to a higher standard while at work. And happy employees and more productive employees.
It’s a big decision for any business to make and if it’s implemented there needs to be clear ground rules, even stronger communication than normal and a large amount of trust between employee and employer. When it’s done well, flexible working leads to more motivated, productive and engaged employees.
