Is anyone coming in today?
With the April NSW school holidays in full swing employers maybe feeling the pinch of lower staff numbers and potentially disengaged employees who are trying to balance children and holiday care activities. A flexible work environment is paramount but what are the business implications?
Flexibility in the workplace allows employers and employees to decide on working conditions that mutually suit them. Helping employees maintain a work / life balance, whilst aiding employers to improve the productivity and efficiency of their business.
The glaring need of this work / life balance is increasing annually. More and more employees are looking for a better work-life balance. This isn’t surprising when 1.68 million Australian female employees are mothers with dependent children*. And it’s not just mothers vying for flexibility, 30%** of the Australian workforce are now working from home influenced by many factors, children being just one component.
The benefits of providing a flexible workplace can include lower costs, increased productivity, improved job satisfaction, high staff morale and competitive advantages in recruitment and retention. These benefits are solid and can feel uncompromising at times but the disadvantages of a flexible arrangement are robust leading employers to consider the impacts on their business such as; less face to face communication, reduced work flow consistency and a slower turn around.
Offering a flexible workplace isn’t always the first option and can depend on the workplace and equally the employee. However, to be a flexible employer today has never been easier, given the technology and tools we are armed with.
*Source: ABS, 4125.0 – Gender Indicators, Australia, Feb 2014.
**Source: ABS, 6102.0.55.001 – Labour Statistics: Concepts, Sources and Methods, Feb 2018.
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