What are the Benefits of a Flexible Work Schedule?

According to a Harvard Business Review ¹ study completed by Fractl, a flexible work schedule is a very close 2^nd to better health care benefits when job candidates are considering potential offers from an employer.  In fact, 88% of all job prospects would consider the opportunity to have some form of a flexible work schedule a strong part of their decision process in selecting a job offer.

According to that same study, team members who are provided flexible work style options are happier, more productive and highly engaged.  Flexibility is one of the top three culture attributes team members value the most, following ethics and inclusion. Giving team members the independence to work remotely can lead to productivity gains — 86% of remote work program participants believe they are as or even more productive working remotely compared to those who are in the office full-time.

93% of team members feel remote work makes them a better team member and the company a better employer.

A Forbes article assessment by Dell of a Flexible Work Initiative Program implemented in 2009, resulted in the following impact and benefits. ²

Reduce the barriers to attracting top talent: Work-life balance ranks as the number one career goal for all three major generations — baby boomers, Generation X and millennials — according to research with Intel.

Benefit the planet: Flexible work practices also help businesses to conserve natural resources and energy. With fewer people in the office and on the road, you’re helping reduce transportation-related pollution and can maximize office space usage. An internal Dell study in 2015 revealed that its Connected Workplace program in the United States alone helped reduce an estimate 25 million kWh of energy. Gallup data suggests that the U.S. workforce avoids 2.7 billion round-trips per year by telecommuting — a reduction of 30 million metric tons CO2e per year.

Responding to the Changing Workplace: A principal driver of this cultural shift is the innovative technology that is now capable of enabling productivity without trade-offs. But providing the latest technology isn’t enough — a company’s HR and IT efforts also need to align closely with the operation management teams.

Flexible work is the new norm in the workplace and it’s not going away anytime soon. By providing your teams with flexible work options that encourage collaboration, optimize productivity and allow them to follow their preferred work style, your organization will boost its competitive edge and position itself to become an employer-of-choice for the world’s best talent.

¹ https://hbr.org/2017/02/the-most-desirable-employee-benefits

² https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2017/12/08/how-a-flexible-work-culture-works-for-everyone/