Should Flexible Work Be Available to All Employees?

How Employers can Help Homeworkers with Added Childcare
January 19, 2021

Should Flexible Work Be Available to All Employees?

Flexible

The Covid-19 pandemic has shown that the 9-5 working day is becoming outdated. CIPD has suggested that, ‘nearly half of employees do not have flexible working in their current role’.  The pandemic has highlighted the need for some businesses to incorporate flexible working practices into their long-term business strategy.

Advice for Employers

If you decide to foster a flexible culture within your business, you will need to have strict policies and procedures in place to ensure sufficient output and to minimise and legal risk.

A reasonable company is generally happy to accommodate a reasonable employee if they are given the same respect in return. Employees and employers should not expect flexibility to be a one-way street and vice versa.

Pros 

Flexibility in the workplace can:

  • Boost employee morale as flexible hours may increase happiness within the team.
  • Reduce tardiness and absenteeism.
  • It may reduce employee turnover; this will benefit both company and the team. This may also benefit the economic
  • Enhance company image as a family-friendly place to work.
  • Encourage a more balanced work-home life, research shows this can increase productivity.
  • Cut office costs down, reducing the economic impact on the business.
  • Reduce stress for employees not having to commute back and for to work and due to not being overloaded with work, they can take a break if needed.
Cons

Some cons to greater flexibility include:

  • There may be feelings of unfairness when only certain employees have work that can be completed remotely.
  • Mangers may find it harder to track what their employees are doing. It is really difficult to keep track of what the team is doing when they are all working different hours or at different places.

We would argue that the benefits out way the risks when it comes to flexible working. However, it is down to you as an employer to judge what works best for your business and whether flexible working is suited to your workforce. For more information on how flexible working could help you, contact us on 01633 246 666, email us at enquires@thshr.co.uk or visit our website.

References and Further Reading

How Employers can Help Homeworkers with Added Childcare – THS (thshr.co.uk)

Remote Working – the ‘New Normal’? – THS (thshr.co.uk)

Do we need a new approach to flexible working? (peoplemanagement.co.uk)

Skills HR will need in 2021: Making flexible working work (peoplemanagement.co.uk)

Making flexibility work in the ‘new normal’ (peoplemanagement.co.uk)

Almost half of employees have no access to flexible working, CIPD study finds (peoplemanagement.co.uk)

Pros and Cons of a Flexible Work Schedule (thebalancecareers.com)

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Having Flexible Working Hours | MinuteDock