From 30th June this year, everyone in the UK who has worked in an organisation for 6 months or more has the right to request flexible working. This means that, once a year, YOU can approach your employer and request new working arrangements – and your employer has a legal obligation to act on it. But what are the benefits of flexible working – and how could it impact upon your life?
At People Lab, we’re big believers that flexible working has a huge impact on happiness at work – and employee engagement (of course!) Making it clear to your employees that flexible working is part of the fabric of your company – and showing that you understand the benefits it can have for your employees – will be essential in the coming weeks.
As the new legislation begins to take effect in a few short weeks, it’s vital that everyone in your organisation understands what flexible working could do for them. New research from the Cranfield School of Management paves the way for you to arm yourself with the benefits of flexible working, so you’ll know exactly why and how you’ll go about it.
‘Flexible Working and Performance’ is the summary of research conducted within seven organisations, spanning a two year period. Three approaches to data collection were used: staff surveys, semi-structured interviews and focus groups of stakeholders within each organisation. Employees were invited to respond to the survey through an internet link which ensured confidentiality and a whopping 3,580 completed questionnaires were received as part of the project.
Combined with the survey, 123 semi-structured interviews were conducted across the organisations. Interview participants included those who used a range of flexible working patterns such as remote working, flexi-time, staggered hours, compressed hours
and reduced hours. Following this, focus groups involved a further 60 participants who were stakeholders in flexible working from different departments or divisions within each organisation.
The findings of the research were mostly positive, detailing the fantastic impact that flexible working can have – and the difference it can make to the happiness and work/life balance of employees.
[box]” The positive work-life balance effects of flexible working are probably the best known and most frequently cited advantages,” says Cranfield’s research team. “The interplay between employee wellbeing, work-life balance and performance brings into play factors such as organisational commitment, enthusiasm, energy and satisfaction. The findings support the intuitive expectation that the employee who is better able to integrate work and non-work will experience enhanced wellbeing. Indirectly, this positive association impacts on performance, with employees in a sense ‘repaying’ their organisation with improved levels of motivation and drive.” [/box]
As we all know, employee engagement has a huge impact on employee retention. If employees are happy and engaged at work, they’re significantly less likely to be scouring the job pages at lunch time – as one contributor to the research shared:
“One of the reasons I stay with the organisation is the fact that I’ve got that flexibility. It enables me to meet family commitments, whether it’s the kids or whether it’s my wife.”
The research also found that flexible working had an interesting impact on stress levels. Of those surveyed, 50% reported that flexible working relieved stress, whilst 34% said they felt no more or less stressed than when they’re at the office. However, 16% said that flexible working had made life significantly more stressful. These contributors had adopted compressed or reduced hours – and reported that trying to achieve their objectives within a tighter or altered time frame left them pulling their hair out.
When it comes to flexible working, it often takes a bit of experimentation to get it right. The idea of compressed hours might seem like the best option for you – but it doesn’t necessarily mean it will be. I’ve got friends and colleagues who work from home 3-4 days per week, and they’re some of the most productive and innovative people I’ve ever met. On the flip side, I also know people who couldn’t think of anything worse than working from home – their workplace is for working, and their home is for relaxing, and that’s the way they want it to stay.
The best thing about flexible working? It does what it says on the tin. You can play around with it until you get the balance just right for you – it’s not one size fits all, and every person will find a certain way that works for them. If that means leaving an hour early on Fridays, or working three days a week, it really is your call. If you’re feeling daunted by the prospect of approaching your employer, just remember: your employer has a duty to respond to your request – and if they turn you down, they’ll need to give a rational reason for doing so.
The way flexible working impacts your life is up to you. Should you choose to approach your employer with your request, you’ll essentially be able to tailor a working schedule that affords you a better work/life balance. You’re in control of your own happiness and convenience when it comes to flexible working – so don’t miss out on your opportunity to make the change. And if you’re worried about your employer’s response, go in armed with the evidence – print off the report below, show them the benefits, and get stuck in to your new flexible lifestyle.
Resources
Download the full ‘Flexible Working and Performance’ report here.
