Interviewed by Joseph Coombs, Workplace Trends and Forecasting Specialist, SHRM
Do you think workplace flexibility is a high priority for companies today?
As the economy begins to improve, employment growth is re-emerging in many industries. For an industry like higher education that cannot compete for talent based merely on base salary, workplace flexibility has been and will continue to be a recruitment and retention tool and a means to improve employee engagement and productivity. Other industries are beginning to realize the benefits of flexible work practices as they assess the work/life needs of a multi-generational workforce. However, for many companies, either due to their size, business process constraints or management resistance, some forms of workplace flexibility are not an option. Building manager awareness of the value of flexible work practices and their capability to manage workplace flexibility are key factors in overcoming manager resistance.
What are the true benefits of offering some form of workplace flexibility, and can it be measured?
Some of the benefits of offering flexible work practices include improvements in productivity, employee commitment and engagement, as well as reduced employee stress (which can impact healthcare costs). For organizations like Bryant University, they represent an attractive element of our total rewards package for recruitment and retention purposes. Employee retention can be improved through benefits like flexible schedules or compressed workweeks to address work/ life needs of employees, or return-to-work/ transition programs for new or adoptive parents or for employees who would like to phase into retirement or are pursuing a college degree. Our organizational assessment survey that is conducted every other year and measures the level of employee engagement is one of the means by which Bryant measures the value of its workplace flexibility benefits.
What are some workplace benefits that have been changed or eliminated in many workplaces due to the recent recession?
Many companies that have had reductions in their workforce due to the recession can no longer provide flexible scheduling due to staffing levels. Many companies saw a drop in voluntary retirement patterns or had to reduce or eliminate educational assistance benefits that might have included flexible scheduling options prior to the recession.
Will the new challenges brought about as a result of health care reform come at the expense of other efforts to reform workplace flexibility?
While there will definitely be new challenges to address as a result of health care reform, workplace flexibility will continue to be an important factor in improving employee productivity and reducing absenteeism and “presenteeism” (the act of attending work while sick), which are strategic priorities for business growth.