Flexibility in the Workplace

"Flexibility in where, when and how work is undertaken is a priority for most employees at different times in their careers if employers are to attract and retain staff they need to offer and support flexibility at their workplace". ¹

Workplace flexibility is a critical component of any attraction and retention strategy. Australian and international research clearly indicates that employees, be they Baby Boomers, Gen X or Gen Y, perceive flexibility in when, where and how they achieve their work commitments to be a key factor in maintaining their motivation and commitment to their employer.

Changes to the Fair Work Act 2010 gave employees with children under school age and those with dependants under the age of 18 who have a disability the right to request a flexible work arrangement. Best Practice employers have put processes in place that ensure their responses and management of flexible work options meet the requirements of the legislation, are non-discriminatory and address the needs of the business and the employee.

Can managers manage flexibility issues?

The data collected by Managing Work|Life Balance in the Flexible Work in 2010 Pulse Survey found that 47 per cent of respondents “agreeing” or “strongly agreeing” that they are hindered by leaders in their organisation who find it difficult to change their views about the value of flexible working. Furthermore, just over a quarter of the respondents (26 per cent) did not believe that their managers/leaders felt competent enough to manage flexibility within their work teams. This data reinforces the need for organisations to take action and develop a workplace culture that is flexible and responsive to the needs of employees, making flexibility at work effective.

Making Flexibility Work @ Work

Our consulting team can assist you to make flexibility work through:

• The development of a flexible work strategy that will contribute to your "Employer Brand" and assist in the attraction and retention of staff
• Identifying the needs of diverse demographic groups such as mature-aged staff who are looking for different flexibility options
• The provision of advice on developing a workplace culture that is responsive to the needs of staff who need and want to work flexibly
• Developing a suite of flexible work options, policies and guidelines that are compliant with current legislation
• Establishing an ongoing communication strategy to ensure that flexibility is kept in the spotlight, and managers and staff know what is available and how a flexible work arrangement can be established
• Facilitating workshops and training sessions for managers to skill them in "holding the conversation" with employees who request a flexible work arrangement, and establishing flexible working within their teams
• Evaluating the success of your strategy.

Join us at Linkedin

Making Flexibility Work: If you are a member of Linkedin, click here to see our Discussion Page. (If you are not a member, you can also click this link to join.)