Christian Codrington: Senior manager, professional practice, BC Human Resources Management Association
To be seen as a desirable place to work, as well as help staff manage the challenges of work and home, employers are increasingly looking to flexible work arrangements as a solution. Practices like open work hours, compressed work weeks, working from home, job sharing and sabbaticals are a few examples of flexible work options. It is often tempting to just copy what appears to be a “best practice” from another organization. But before transplanting an initiative into your workplace, it is critical to consider a number of factors.
•Is this initiative desired by the workforce you have and are trying to attract? For example, not all people find working from home an attractive option nor does every demographic want a flexible work schedule.
•Determine the impact on operations. Often overlooked are the communication and teamwork that must take place between staff who could be working at varying hours or locations. Consulting with stakeholders before simply implementing is important.
•Be clear on how any practice will apply and to whom. It’s important all employees understand the particulars of any initiative and see it being applied consistently. Policies or guidelines should be clear and demonstrate you trust your team to get their work done.
•Commit to communicating more frequently. Managing your team can be challenging when you are not able to witness how work is getting done.
•Gather feedback and evaluate whether the initiative can continue. Pass on those findings to your team.
•Commit to ongoing evaluation. The conditions and environment that gave rise to a flexible work initiative can change. In the long term, it is imperative to review the initiative to determine its ongoing relevance.
There are a variety of factors to be considered but, when done properly, flexible schedules can be a valuable benefit for an organization and its employees.
Phillipa Johnston: HR and employee relations consultant, HRfx Consulting
Flex-time is a business reality and, as new generations enter the workforce, it is an expectation. The variety of flex-time options offers the potential for a win-win situation for employers and employees. That potential hinges on doing the upfront work right.
The protocols for how flex time will work will vary depending on the company and the needs of the job. Flex-time can be used by employees in a range of jobs, but not everyone wants or can have flex-time. The program will be most successful when the work unit is involved in the development of the guidelines. Employees’ reasons for wanting flex-time should not matter, unless covered by law.
Most companies follow this implementation process or one similar:
•Determine which flexible work options might work for your environment and pilot some of the options to see whether/how they work before full implementation.
•Supervisors will need to learn new ways of managing. Flex-time doesn’t work for all types of jobs or individuals.
•Communication is key – employees and supervisors must be clear about the program.
•Review the effectiveness of flex-time for the employee, for the supervisor and the work group.
Are there concerns? Of course. It takes planning and adjustments to set up flex-time initially. Companies should not enter these arrangements lightly. Policies that are developed with input from employees and emulate successful practices that are already in place can lead to a work arrangement that is satisfying for the employee and beneficial for the employer. They can also assist companies in putting together a diverse workforce that mirrors their client and/or customer base. Only then can flex-time have a positive impact on workplace effectiveness and the bottom line.
Cara Hykawy: Communications, BC Council for Families; masters of counselling psychology candidate
Why should businesses commit to implementing flexible work schedules for their employees? The answer is simple: flexible schedules make for happier employees, who will in turn have happier, healthier families, and healthier families create better, more cohesive communities. When employees face challenges in maintaining a positive work-life balance, there can be several negative consequences: absenteeism increases and work performance plummets. This unhappiness can seep through and affect an employee’s family life.
Traditional work schedules no longer jive with many contemporary lifestyles. A rigidly scheduled workday often does not leave room for employees’ obligations outside of the office. And it is important to note that employees do have lives outside of the office. Whether it’s parenting children, caring for an aging parent, engaging in a fulfilling hobby or volunteering their time to a good cause, having a flexible work schedule allows for these other areas of a person’s life to be tended to more successfully.
Although flexible work schedules are beneficial for all employees who live in a family context, and the gap in who’s caring for children is slowly closing, the implementation of flextime can be all the more important for your employees who are mothers. On average, Canadian women spend double the amount of time as their male counterparts on unpaid work in the home, including child care, and this is usually on top of full-time employment. With more mothers active in the workforce, being granted flex-time, the ability to telecommute or any other flexible work arrangement will give employees a more positive perception of work-life balance. It may help them to become better, more attentive parents and more engaged citizens, which is beneficial for your entire community as well as your company.
