Advantages of Flexible Working

• Advantages to Management
• Advantages to Employees
• Are there any Disadvantages?

FlexTime was involved in pioneering Flexible Working Hours in the early 1980s. Since then we have continuously created innovative technology solutions that are specifically geared for the subject. Our systems are now now available in several countries and we welcome requests from new markets.

Research

FlexTime's award winning research shows a direct connection between employee morale and the provision of flexible working hours / flextime.

Our study shows that :

• a) when the organisation first recognises the work:life conflict that employees now have in a modern working environment and then shows it will make a crucial intervention so as to provide flexible working hours as a support mechanism for the employee – then
• b) the employee will “reciprocate” with a new and more positive attitude to work and to the workplace.

  This results in the advantages that flow from having flexible working as covered in this section of our web site e.g. reduction in staff turnover, absenteeism, overtime.

  The Research also supports other general research that has been carried out on other Human Resource subjects, whereby it had been already well established that there is a connection between improved employee morale and reduced absence levels, better employee retention rates and also productivity. To add further to this, often this neccessary management "intervention" mentioned earlier i.e. the provision of flexible hours, is most appreciated at a time of pressure, perhaps even crisis, in an employee’s life cycle e.g. when needing to care for small children or an elderly parent.

  

  Therefore, unusually, for a H.R. subject, flexible working hours can reach right into the employee's home and homelife .

  The study found that this is can explain why the benefits of such interventions can be felt even after that 'pressured' part of that employee's life, referred to above, has passed e.g. the child is older or the caring phase for a parent may have sadly passed. So, the initial gesture of having offered / implemeted flexible working can furthermore assist towards a more lasting workplace harmony. In other words, the employee's positive perception, in this context, can be sustained.

  In addition, the concept of work:life conflict is an issue for all people at work irrespective of their age group, their family commitments etc. So, for example, a younger or single person, will see the benefits of flexible working in his/her own way e.g. avoiding traffic, attending night courses more easily etc.

  So that the study aspect and over 25 years Flextime has been involved in 5 major research studies. Ask us for more details about the outcomes from them at 00353 1 2609680.