There’s now a business imperative for workplace flexibility, says Ellen Galinsky, and it’s showing up on the bottom line. In today’s Advisor, what’s changed and why you need to respond.
Galinsky, president and co-founder of the Families and Work Institute in New York made her remarks at SHRM’s recent Employment law and Legislative Conference in Washington, DC.
The Workplace Has Changed
First, says Galinsky, employers are going to embrace flexibility because the workplace has changed significantly. For example, according to surveys, many of which her organization has conducted:
- There are more employees age 40 and older — up from 39% in 1977 to 68% in 2008
- There are more people of color — up from 12% in 1977 to 21% in 2008; among employees under age 29, the percentage of people of color increased from 13% in 1977 to 39% in 2008
- There are more dual-earner couples — up from 66% in 1977 to 79% in 2008
- Women are in the workforce in almost equal numbers as men
- Women’s level of education has increased relative to men’s. (According to the U.S. Department of Education, women have been earning more bachelor’s degrees than men since 1982 and more master’s degrees than men since 1981.)
- For the first time, young women and young men don’t differ in their desire for jobs with more responsibility
- Women in dual-earner couples are contributing more to family income. In 2008, employed women in dual-earner couples contributed an average of 44% of family income, up from 39% in 1997
- Men’s roles and behaviors are changing. Over the past three decades, mother’s time with children under 13 has remained the same — 3.8 hours, while father’s time has increased from 2 hours to 3 hours (1977 – 2008)
- Fathers are now experiencing more work-life conflicts than mothers
- Nearly 1 in 5 employees currently provides elder care and 1 in 2 employees expects to provide elder care within the next five years
Collectively, these findings suggest that flexibility is going to be demanded. But Galinsky has also found that organizations that are more flexible are more effective. To be fair, though, she notes that flexibility is only one component of an effective workplace.
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Here are the factors on which she measures workplaces:
Job Challenge and Learning
- My job lets me use my skills and abilities
- The work I do is meaningful to me
- My job requires that I be creative
- I get to do different things on my job
- My job requires that I keep learning new things
Autonomy
- I have a lot of say about what happens on my job
- I have the freedom to decide what I do on my job
- I can be myself on the job
Work-Life Fit
- My supervisor cares about the effect of work on my personal/family life
- My supervisors is responsive when I have personal/family business
- I have the co-worker support I need to successfully manage my work and family life
- I have the schedule flexibility I need to successfully manage my work and family life
- My work schedule/shift meets my needs
Supervisor Task Support
- My supervisor is supportive when I have a work problem
- My supervisor recognizes when I do a good job
- My supervisor keeps me informed of things I need to know to do my job well
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Climate of Respect and Trust
- I trust what our managers say
- My managers deal ethically with employees and clients
- My managers seek information and new ideas from employees
Economic Security
- I am satisfied with my earning from my job
- I am satisfied with my benefits from my job
- I am satisfied with my opportunities for career advancement
How about your employees? How would they rate themselves on the factors above (including Work-Life Fit)?
In tomorrow’s Advisor, specific examples of productive flexibility programs and an introduction to a unique guide just for smaller or even one-person HR departments.