Employees need to have a proper work-life balance to perform their best. In that regard, it is necessary to consider offering employees a flexible working policy to make it easier for them to balance their work and contribute to employee satisfaction.

 

It is essential to look at the various aspects of the flexible working policy for the employees before making their work more flexible. Understanding the pros and cons can help you develop the right flexible working policy that benefits employees and the organisation.

 

What Is a Flexible Working Policy?

A flexible working policy is when employers give employees flexibility in completing their work. This flexibility extends to how long they work, where, and when they need to work.

For instance, the employees might choose to work from their homes instead of coming into the office. Or a mix and match of both working from the office and working from home could be offered to the employees. 

The employers might offer the employees flexible working hours. That is, as long as the goals are met, and the tasks are completed on time. The employers do not mind what hours the employees work.

In other practices, employers look into the employees’ work hours over the year. 

 

The Advantages of a Flexible Working Policy

The following are the advantages of a flexible working policy:

 

 

Boosts Productivity

When working at a predetermined time, it is important to understand that not every employee might be at their most productive during those hours. But when the employees work on the flexible work hours model, it makes things a bit easier.

Employees can work in their own time, where they might be more productive instead of being confined to regular work hours. This helps to reduce the stress of the employees.

 

Improves Employee Morale

When employers introduce a flexible working policy, they place a certain level of trust in their employees. They trust the employees will complete their tasks and establishing proper communication with them. This can help improve their loyalty and aid in boosting their productivity. 

But that is not all. It boosts employee morale and helps the company have a satisfied workforce. 

 

Helps in Recruitment

For the growth of the company, recruitment is the key process. When employees can choose how they work, candidates are eager to join their workforce.

Any company that offers a flexible working policy will likely have a good reputation for trusting their employees. This brings in more candidates to apply for open roles. 

 

Diverse Teams

When a workforce is filled with diverse employees, they are bound to be more productive and offer various perspectives on the problems that might arise in the company. Not to mention that it is also helpful when it comes to building your employer branding.

A company that adopts a flexible working policy can have a diverse workforce worldwide. This will help you expand your reputation to a global scale. 

 

Reduces the Employee Turnover

Although a good salary is attractive for the employee, they require much more. Perks and benefits play an important role in retaining employees. One of the most essential recruitment KPIs is the employee turnover rate. A high turnover rate indicates that employees are unsatisfied with the company.

A flexible working policy helps to combat that. Employees will stay motivated to work for a company that offers flexibility in their working style. Employees are less likely to leave a company, making it easier for them to have a healthy work-life balance.

 

The Disadvantages of Flexible Working Policy

The following are some of the disadvantages of a flexible working policy:

 

 

Blurs the work and life distinction

When it comes to a flexible working policy, the flexibility of the location is an attractive perk. This means that employees work remotely most of the time or at least in a hybrid model. This could be a problem with some employees.

The employee might not have a clear distinction between their work- and home-life. This means they might be bound to procrastinate and put off their tasks when they work from home. It could leave them to work for longer hours and might blur the distinction between their work aspect and their life outside of work. 

 

Might Cause Procrastination

When working from the office, employees have the entire team working alongside them for fixed hours. This might act as a motivating factor for the employees to get their tasks done within the fixed hours. 

With a flexible working policy, there is no possibility of the employee ever getting such motivation. They might lose track of time and stay relaxed for longer. This might affect the time they spend with their friends and family.

 

Communication Problems

Every company requires their employees to communicate frequently with each other. In a company that offers a flexible working policy, communication might not always be face-to-face. For instance, the employee working remotely might need to contact an employee from home or the office.

Employees working with different styles might have trouble communicating with each other. This might lead to a delay in them completing their work. This can, in turn, affect your company.

 

A Lack of Engagement

To have a healthy work-life, employees must cultivate a good working relationship with all their coworkers. This helps make it easier for them to work as a team. It is harder to achieve a sense of friendship when employees work at different times and places.

If the employees work under a single roof, they can quickly meet each other and have a strong sense of engagement with their work and peers. 

 

Requires a Strong Setup

When it comes to a flexible working policy, you must ensure that your employees all have the proper equipment to work in a different mode. When even one employee does not have the right tools to work remotely, it can affect the workings of the entire team.

Without the right way to bridge the differences in the working style, flexible working policies may do more harm than good for your company.

 

Final Thoughts

Employee satisfaction has always played a significant role in retaining them. Offering employees the flexibility to choose how they work is undoubtedly an attractive perk that helps to bring new employees to the company. But, you need to ensure that the flexible working policies work well with the nature of your business. It is also necessary to see that all the issues related to implementing them are addressed beforehand.

 

 

 

 

LogicMelon

Award-winning recruitment software that will find, attract, hire and analyse the way you want to work. At LogicMelon, we have experienced software recruitment marketing specialists to help you build effective recruitment solutions supported by the best customer service you’ll find anywhere!

Email: sales@logicmelon.com or call LogicMelon (UK) +44 (0) 203 553 3667 (USA) +1 860 269 3089

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