Dive Brief:
- Flexible work schedules are getting lots of attention these days, with both the upsides and downsides debated.
- According to an article at Huffington Post, some managers are old school in that they see structure as a workplace requirement. On the flip side, today's talent, especially younger workers, looks for work time flexibility which, writes author Dan Steiner, can be in the form of non-traditional hours or even rewarding measurable performance rather than expecting office "face time."
- In the article, Steiner falls into the latter category and lays out his reasons why flexibility might be a good fit for an employer, including: reduced costs, improved work-life balance, and a better bottom-line.
Dive Insight:
One key reason that flexible work is gaining traction is that it reduces cost on the employer, even cutting out office costs completely at one extreme.
Perhaps the most cited reason for flexibility is it often meets work/life balance needs, which is key to attracting and retaining today's talent. Steiner offers the fact that flexible work hours rank among the top three benefits that today's job candidates want, according to research. Of course, he also notes that this has special meaning for those younger workers, who live a "flex time" reality in their everyday lives.
But the most compelling issue for Steiner, however, is that flex time can improve bottom line results. For example, he cites what is commonly known as presenteeism, whereby people may be at work but they are often distracted and unproductive. He also writes that multiple studies have revealed that flexibility improves morale and overall work performance -- also a business results boost.
In the end, Steiner writes, by allowing employees to work flexible schedules, everyone wins.
