Businesses nationwide are beginning to implement more flexible work practices, including telecommuting and adjustable hours for their employees. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, 52 percent of organizations offered these kinds of arrangements to their workers in 2014. With each perk, there are advantages and disadvantages for both employers and their workers.
Flexible arrangements can increase employee efficiency
Adaptable hours and workspace can help employees find more discipline to complete their work, according to Inc. magazine. These practices have many other benefits as well, including less time commuting to and from work, more control over when work is completed or of their daily schedule and fewer disruptions.
For employers, these plans benefit them by making them more competitive with other businesses. Employee retention and loyalty may increase for companies that provide the ability for hours and office space to be adaptable to a worker's needs.
Drawbacks are disruptive
While flex-work plans may have many benefits, there are also a fair amount of drawbacks, especially when the arrangement is not well-structured. Varying work times and spaces don't work for all employees and industries. Productivity could suffer if there's no consistency with a worker's flex hours or if an employee cannot deal with distractions at home or in other environments.
In addition, depending on the nature of a business, flexible hours could disrupt the work processes needed to operate efficiently. For example, a client of a manufacturing firm may not benefit from a worker's adjustable hours when the customer has distinct times in which to complete tasks.
How to make your plan a success
Although these programs are built on flexibility, a bit of organizational structure is necessary to ensure they run smoothly. Companies looking to implement these arrangements should determine how this could affect business, both positively and negatively. Doing some research will help your enterprise figure out the best strategy for flex hours and space.
It's also important to communicate the changes to employees at all stages of the process, according to Business News Daily. Contact shouldn't end there, either. Institute a policy of open discussion between managers and workers when employees will use flex-hours or work out of the office. It is OK to amend the program to find better working solutions for employees at all levels of the company.
To see how well this policy works for your company, measure the results, Forbes reported. Has this program increased your employee retention or have you notice a drop in productivity? By looking at the outcomes that arise from telecommuting and flexible hours, your company can decide if the practice is beneficial or is draining employee efficiency.
According to SHRM, about 31 percent of organizations who offer flexible work arrangements saw an increase in employee participation in 2014. As more companies begin to provide these benefits to their workers, it is vital for human resources to create a researched strategy to ensure continued employee productivity.