Managing Work Life Balance - Making Flexibility Work

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 and assist them to cope with the issues created by Covid-19 they need to offer and support flexibility and remote working at their workplace".

Workplace flexibility is a critical component of any workplace management strategy. Australian and international research clearly indicates that employees, 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. 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.

The impact of Covid-19 on Flexible Working

COVID-19 has changed how people want to work and flexibility is here to stay. Covid-19 has made employers move away from traditional thinking that productivity is contingent upon set hours within an office environment. Australian and international research shows that in the future, employees would like a mix of working from home and the office, no commute and the ability to spend more time with family.

Remote working has further blurred the line between work and personal lives. Employees are managing significant changes in their lives, their changing roles as carers, parents, worries about security and finances and ongoing current and potential health issues. Leaders will need to find new ways to support and lead their staff, address mental health issues and

Managers and team leaders will need to develop innovative ways to manage their team member’s mental health and connection with the organisation which are critical to sustain productivity and retention.

Many managers are likely to need guidance and coaching to manage these new situations

Can managers manage flexibility issues?

The data collected by Managing Work|Life Balance and other international researchers has found that organisations are often hindered in their attempts to implement flexible work arrangements by leaders in their organisation who find it difficult to change their views about the value of flexible working.

Furthermore,many managers/leaders feel they are not competent enough to manage flexibility within their work teams. This reinforces the need for organisations to take action and not only develop a workplace culture that is flexible and responsive to the needs of employees, but also to skill and educate their managers.

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.
Address flexibility and remote working issues created by the impact of Covid-19
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.)