Advantages of Flexible Working - Management
Reduced Stress - Improved Employee Morale -
Recently, research by FlexTime with over 1,000 users of our VisionTimeWeb system for flexible working was done in conjunction with City University, London. The research outcome shows that flexible working provides the employee with enhanced job control. Where employees experience greater job control, it leads to reduced workplace stress. Indeed, many of the advantages listed here and which are associated with flexible working hours can be ascribed to this single factor - the employee's feeling of having greater job control.
Combatting The Downturn - Pay matters can now be weighed against now offering flexible working hours and arrangements. With the serious financial downturn now in progress, this is a major advantage to organisations in trying to find ways to combat the forces of the economy.
Combatting Weather Conditions
Recent more extreme and varied weather conditions make it increasingly difficult for employees to work towards rigid working times. So with flexible working employees can for example stop work early during those awkward periods. This is in the knowledge that they can build that time back again,quite soon after. Equally management will know exactly what's going on, in such stressful times, from the realtime and historic information instantly available in our specially designed system for flexible working.
And the next "weather episode" is always around the corner - so now is the time to think ahead on this issue.
Absenteeism has been reduced in companies through flexible working, sometimes by as much as 25 per cent. Instead of taking the odd casual day off for whatever of a variety of reasons staff might do this, now they have the chance to get in later, yet before the core period.
Staff Turnover usually decreases where flexitime is introduced - a vital consideration in terms of keeping key staff, in difficult economic times.
Productivity – while often it is difficult to measure improved productivity, especially in white collar environments, some FLEXTIME System users claim that productivity has increased by between 1 and 5 percent. Relationships between staff and management have improved and most people working with our System would not like to return to fixed working days.
Less Overtime needs be worked, as employees can, within the given guidelines, regulate the hours they work to cope better with busier and slack periods.
Experience has shown that people prefer to be properly occupied when at work. Equally they prefer to take time off when there isn’t much as much work to do, so as to use that time more productively in a personal sense e,g, do shopping, use local facilities, family commitments etc. This is rather than sit around waiting for things to do just for the sake of being at work, when there is an alternative to this.
Working from home - read more
Finishing a Job can be catered for more easily with flexible working. In general, people like to complete a task if it is possible and will stay longer, in the knowledge that the time worked is being built up in the systemThis can avoid wasted time the next day, having to recap on what has already been started the previous day, a situation which often happens in a fixed working day which ends at a specific time.
By comparison, with FWH an employee knows that he can take time off to compensate for extra hours worked.
Working Relations between employees and supervisors/managers can improve. Flexible working can replace that old fashioned concept of what was is often referred to as "Face Management" i.e. the boss needs to see the employee at work to prove work is being performed. This is a cultural thing that can be overcome by organisations realising that a more far sighted approach can be taken. Indeed if we can call Face Management an "old culture device", it's preservation can lead to all sorts of situations e.g. an employee can feel he/she has to stay late, irrespective of what is actually being achieved, just to impress a boss. In a modern working environment, employees can resent such an approach, often knowing themsleves that by comparison flexible working, engenders a “task oriented” environment.
Make no mistake, employees compare how their friends and family members are being treated in their workplaces. Some will vote with their feet and transfer to another workplace that offers flexible working. If these are key Staff, then the result can be difficult for organisations. We know of a specific cases where the main reason that key people continue to work in particular organisations is because of having the benefits of flexitime.
Arriving at Work at different times cuts down a lot of the general chit-chat about last nights TV programme or the latest news to hit the headlines. People come in at their own time and settle down to work quicker.
Communications actually improve because it becomes more concentrated as everyone outside and inside the organisation knows that all staff are available during the core period.
Concentration may be difficult in a busy office, but during the flexible part of the day there are always quiet times when people can get down to doing a difficult job.
Uneven Workloads are much clearer to identify by the amount of hours worked by individuals. This enables alterations to be made or even promotions to be considered.
When Recruiting new staff, FWH can be listed as an employee benefit.
Reduced Stress - Improved Employee Morale
Recently, research by FlexTime with over 1,000 users of our VisionTimeWeb system for flexible working was done in conjunction with City University, London.The research outcome shows that flexible working provides the employee with enhanced job control. Where employees experience greater job control, it leads to reduced workplace stress. Indeed, many of the advantages listed here and which are associated with flexible working hours can be ascribed to this single factor - the employee's feeling of having greater job control.
Combating The Downturn - Pay matters can now be weighed against now offering flexible working hours and arrangements. With the serious financial downturn now in progress, this is a major advantage to organisations in trying to find ways to combat the forces of the economy.
Combating Weather Conditions
Recent more extreme and varied weather conditions make it increasingly difficult for employees to work towards rigid working times. So with flexible working employees can for example stop work early during those awkward periods. This is in the knowledge that they can build that time back again,quite soon after. Equally management will know exactly what's going on, in such stressful times, from the real-time and historic information instantly available in our specially designed system for flexible working.
Now is the time to think ahead on this issue
Absenteeism has been reduced in companies through flexible working, sometimes by as much as 25 per cent. Instead of taking the odd casual day off for whatever of a variety of reasons staff might do this, now they have the chance to get in later, yet before the core period.
Staff Turnover usually decreases where flexitime is introduced - a vital consideration in terms of keeping key staff, in difficult economic times.
Productivity – while often it is difficult to measure improved productivity, especially in white collar environments, some FLEXTIME System users claim that productivity has increased by between 1 and 5 percent. Relationships between staff and management have improved and most people working with our System would not like to return to fixed working days.
Less Overtime needs be worked, as employees can, within the given guidelines, regulate the hours they work to cope better with busier and slack periods.
Experience has shown that people prefer to be properly occupied when at work. Equally they prefer to take time off when there isn’t much as much work to do, so as to use that time more productively in a personal sense e,g, do shopping, use local facilities, family commitments etc. This is rather than sit around waiting for things to do just for the sake of being at work, when there is an alternative to this.
Home Working - For more information on working from home, have a look at the section on Home Working.
Finishing a Job can be catered for more easily with flexible working. In general, people like to complete a task if it is possible and will stay longer, in the knowledge that the time worked is being built up in the system. This can avoid wasted time the next day, having to recap on what has already been started the previous day, a situation which often happens in a fixed working day which ends at a specific time.
By comparison, with FWH an employee knows that he can take time off to compensate for extra hours worked.
Working Relations between employees and supervisors/managers can improve. Flexible working can replace that old fashioned concept of what was is often referred to as "Face Management" i.e. the boss needs to see the employee at work to prove work is being performed. This is a cultural thing that can be overcome by organisations realising that a more far sighted approach can be taken. Indeed if we can call Face Management an "old culture device", it's preservation can lead to all sorts of situations e.g. an employee can feel he/she has to stay late, irrespective of what is actually being achieved, just to impress a boss. In a modern working environment, employees can resent such an approach, often knowing themsleves that by comparison flexible working, engenders a “task oriented” environment.
Make no mistake, employees compare how their friends and family members are being treated in their workplaces. Some will vote with their feet and transfer to another workplace that offers flexible working. If these are key Staff, then the result can be difficult for organisations. We know of a specific cases where the main reason that key people continue to work in particular organisations is because of having the benefits of flexitime.
Arriving at Work at different times cuts down a lot of the general chit-chat about last nights TV programme or the latest news to hit the headlines. People come in at their own time and settle down to work quicker.
Communications actually improve because it becomes more concentrated as everyone outside and inside the organisation knows that all staff are available during the core period.
Concentration may be difficult in a busy office, but during the flexible part of the day there are always quiet times when people can get down to doing a difficult job.
Uneven Workloads are much clearer to identify by the amount of hours worked by individuals. This enables alterations to be made or even promotions to be considered.
When Recruiting new staff, FWH can be listed as an employee benefit.