Offer workplace flexibility to improve employee satisfaction

 Offer workplace flexibility to improve employee satisfaction

When employees and employers come to an amicable agreement about the when, where, and how an employee will work to satisfy the needs of the organization, it is known as workplace flexibility. Flexibility can be formal and formally sanctioned by HR regulations or informal and available at the discretion of the employer.

It may include: 

  • Policies and procedures that control how, when, and where employees work.
  • Alternative work arrangements and HR policies such as flextime, telework, leaves and part-time work that an entire work unit or a subgroup of employees uses.
  • Changes to job autonomy and design that give employees more control over their working hours and location.
  • Informal practices such as occasionally or regularly using flextime to come in late or leave early or to work from home with supervisor permission.
  • Mobile work, such as working at a client’s workplace.
  • Utilizing technology to collaborate and work away from the main jobsite.

Many organizations look to flexibility in the workplace when it comes to luring top personnel.

Both businesses and employees need to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Moving away from a typical 9-to-5 office structure that controls an employee's whereabouts and toward a more contemporary workplace model that boosts employee satisfaction and productivity is perfect in today's employment market.

Humans, not robots, are what you are hiring as an employer. Therefore, you should give employee engagement high attention while hiring new personnel and gauging the general contentment of your current workforce. Businesses that are rigid in their hiring practices are likely to lose the talent war.

Employers must realize that enabling employees to work from home occasionally or creating schedules that best suit their requirements is just one aspect of workplace flexibility. According to the study's authors, flexibility covers a wide range of work arrangements, such as the following:

  • Adaptable timing for arrival and departure
  • working primarily from home or being mobile
  • Control and flexibility in work shifts
  • working part-time from home
  • shortened hours or workweek
  • Possibility of taking a sabbatical or career break (e.g., extended time off)
  • Unlimited paid vacation days
  • maternity leave


Benefits of workplace flexibility

Figure 01: Benefits of workplace flexibility (SHRM)

References

Kristina, 2019. opensourcedworkplace. [Online]
Available at: https://www.opensourcedworkplace.com/news/workplace-flexibility-and-job-satisfaction-determining-job-satisfaction-with-a-flexible-employer
[Accessed December 2022].

SHRM, 2021. SHRM. [Online]
Available at: https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/toolkits/pages/managingflexibleworkarrangements.aspx
[Accessed December 2022].

Comments

  1. Supun WeerakkodyDecember 10, 2022 at 11:40 AM

    In addition to enhanced productivity, offering flexibility in the workplace helps organizations retain their existing talent, boost morale, and attract new talent. Hybrid work environment also helps a lot

    ReplyDelete

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