Many workers became accustomed to working remotely during the pandemic, and splitting time between the office and home is expected to become the new normal, according to a PwC report, It's Time to Reimagine Where and How Work Will Get Done.
Allowing employees the flexibility to work from home while still maintaining some in-person collaboration is the future of work, according to some experts. A March , Mercer survey of more than U. A hybrid approach comes with similar opportunities and challenges to a full-telecommuting model. Effective use of office space is another concern for employers who will have employees coming and going in the office on different days. Some employers are implementing technology to manage occupancy such as online platforms or cellphone apps that allow workers to book workspace when they want to be in the office.
The term "hoteling" refers to having telecommuters reserve an office or workstation for their in-office days in lieu of assigning them a permanent workspace.
Hoteling can cut an organization's office space requirements and reduce costs. See Fine-Tuning the Open Office. Snowbird programs allow employees to transfer to an organization's location in a warmer region during winter months.
A telemarketing operation or help-desk call center can be physically located anywhere. An organization might be able to attract a better and larger labor force including older persons if, for example, it had a program allowing employees to spend winter months working in Florida or Arizona.
Not all types are manageable or worthwhile for all sizes and types of organizations, so every employer considering this arrangement should undertake an organizational assessment to determine whether and what kind of flexible scheduling will meet its needs.
From an industry perspective, Colorado-based HealthONE, a hospital services alliance, discovered that flexible work schedules could stem the loss of employees unable to fit their work around their children's school hours.
This approach was more cost-effective than replacing departing employees in an extremely competitive market for health care talent. Flextime is a type of alternative schedule that gives a worker greater latitude in choosing his or her particular hours of work, or freedom to change work schedules from one week to the next depending on the employee's personal needs. Under a flextime arrangement, an employee might be required to work a standard number of core hours within a specified period, allowing the employee greater flexibility in starting and ending times.
Compressed workweek is an alternative scheduling method that allows employees to work a standard workweek of 40 hours over a period of fewer than five days in one week or 10 days in two weeks. For example, some employers implement a four-day workweek of hour days.
Employers get the same number of working hours, but employees have a three-day weekend every week. Among other demographics, employees whose family status involves child care or elder care responsibilities may find a compressed workweek to be of particular value.
Employees save time and commuting expenses by reporting for duty on fewer days. Employers that convert their entire operation to a four-day workweek may save on the cost of utilities and other overhead. Shift work has traditionally been used in manufacturing environments to maximize productivity from fixed resources and costs.
For example, supermarkets and computer help desks are now typically open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Nowadays, a computer user calling for technical support during regular U. Despite its extensive use in certain environments, shift work poses some practical challenges for some employers. Part-time jobs are the most traditional of flexible scheduling options. This option is typically used when a job requires fewer than 40 hours of work per week.
Part-time work can be used to attract a workforce that includes students, parents of young children, older workers and others who need or want to work but do not wish to work a full-time schedule. Although more commonly associated with jobs in retail and food service, some employers do have part-time professional employees. Part-time work can help organizations retain professionals who otherwise would be lost.
Job-sharing is the practice of having two different employees performing the tasks of one full-time position. Each of the job-sharing partners works a part-time schedule, but together they are accountable for the duties of one full-time position. Typically, they divide the responsibilities in a manner that meets both of their needs as well as those of the employer. The practice allows for part-time schedules in positions that the employer would not otherwise offer on a part-time basis.
It requires a high degree of compatibility, communication and cooperation between the job-sharing partners and with their supervisor. Like part-time jobs, job-sharing arrangements may appeal particularly to students, parents of young children and employees nearing retirement, helping them balance careers with other needs. For employers, the practice may include retention of skilled employees, increased employee loyalty and productivity, and a measure of flexibility that can occur when two people fill one job slot.
Whether allowing for flexible work hours for employees with children at home during the COVID pandemic, or offering flexible work arrangements on an on-going basis, supporting working parents is an employee engagement and satisfaction necessity. In addition to the more-traditional work flex options discussed later in this article, employers may want to consider creative options, such as staggering employee shifts, rotating days or weeks of in-office presence with telework, and phasing in return-to-work starting with a reduced schedule and transitioning back to full-time.
Working from Home with Kids? How to Manage the Impossible. Juggling Child Care with Telework? Here Are Some Tips. Applicable laws should play a major role in the decision of whether to implement flexible work arrangements. Below are some legal issues to consider in terms of alternative work arrangements. Equal employment opportunity laws mandate nondiscrimination in wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment. Accordingly, employers should take steps to ensure that all such arrangements are offered and implemented without discrimination on any prohibited basis.
Despite an organization's best intentions and nondiscriminatory business motivations, however, some groups of employees may reap more of the benefits of flexible work arrangements than others, simply because their circumstances make such options more attractive to them.
As with all other employment practices, clear policies, consistent decision-making and careful documentation are needed to fend off possible discrimination charges. Employers must be mindful of both federal and state wage and hour laws in implementing flextime.
For example, if nonexempt employees are allowed flextime, it is especially important to track their actual work hours to ensure compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act FLSA.
Mechanical and computerized time clocks are valuable tools in this regard. State wage and hour laws may pose challenges to the use of flexible work arrangements, such as daily overtime requirements.
See Managing Workplace Flexibility in California. See Are employees working a compressed workweek and paid bi-weekly entitled to overtime in the week they work over 40 hours?
Under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act ERISA , the "1,hour rule" makes employees who have completed 1, hours of service in a period of 12 consecutive months eligible to participate in any company retirement or profit-sharing plan that is offered to other employees.
For plan years beginning after Dec. Eligible employees will have completed at least hours of service each year for three consecutive years and are age 21 or older. Years of service prior to do not have to be counted; however, employers may choose to have more generous eligibility rules. Eligibility for most benefits for example, vacation, sick leave, medical insurance, retirement benefits, life insurance and most disability plans is at the employer's discretion under federal law, but may be mandated by state law.
Employers should verify their compliance with any applicable benefits mandates, ensure that their policies clearly state the eligibility requirements for particular benefits and administer their policies consistently. See Are we legally required to offer benefits to part-time employees?
When an organization allows persons to work from their home offices exclusively or in addition to working from corporate facilities, a number of additional legal issues can arise. Flexible Work Hours Agreement. Telecommuting Policy and Procedure.
Temporary Telecommuting Policy. Short-Term Telecommuting Agreement. Flexible working attracts diverse workforces, which has been shown to have commercial benefits.
C ompanies in the top-quartile for gender diversity on executive teams are 21 per cent more likely to outperform on profitability and 27 per cent more likely to have superior value creation 1. Yet, 80 per cent of business leader s say that flexible working helps them retain top talent and t wo in three 64 per cent are now offering flexible working to aid recruitment strategies.
Flexible working today. While flexible working as a concept is much older than 10 years, what the last decade has demonstrated is an increasing acceptance of this way of working. Society has evolved since and employees feel more empowered to demand working practices that suit them. Yet, this is not an example of people power changing business.
Instead, f orward thinking organisations recognise the commercial benefits of flexible working. Those same organisations are also alert to the benefits of being a supportive employer providing appropriate work-life balance. What the last 10 years has really proven is that flexible working and workspace s are not a flash in the pan. If anything, we expect this to become the normal course of business. Vie w our flexible workspace solutions.
Incorrect email. We use cookies to provide and improve our services and enhance your browsing experience. By continuing to use our site you consent to the use of cookies. Thought leadership An increasing trend How all businesses can benefit. Media centre. Photography Videos. Thought leadership. Blog World of Work How flexible working has changed in the last 10 years. How flexible working has changed in the last 10 years.
People power driving change Undoubtedly one of the biggest drivers in flexible working and flexible workspaces has been technology. View the latest articles. Autumn Budget The key points for employers 3rd November Stay up to speed with the latest employer news.
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