The Benefits of Flexible Work Arrangements

Technology is enabling when we work, how we work, and where we work and as a result more employers are offering employees flexible work schedules and arrangements for talent retention, while recruiters are using flexible work arrangements for talent attraction.

Offering jobseekers the opportunity to have a flexible schedule may make your company stand out among the competition. Flexible schedules and work arrangements offer many benefits to employers and jobseekers alike. And new survey findings are driving this point home. Consider these benefits when weighing your flexible schedule options:

Positive Impact on Employees’ Health

According to FlexJobs recent Work-Life-Relationship survey, offering this type of arrangement leads to a happier and healthier workforce. The survey found that:

• 89% of respondents thought a flexible job would help them take better care of themselves.
• 97% of respondents who say they have mental health issues believe a flexible job would help.
• 88% believe flexible work arrangements would decrease their levels of stress.
• 70% say work has conflicted with their efforts to take care of their health.
• 69% thought it would increase the frequency they exercised.

Positive Impact on Employees’ Happiness

On top of keeping employees healthy, flexible work arrangements help keep employees happy. What may be more important to some, is the fact that flexible arrangements are making your employees’ families happier too! The survey found that:

• 87% of respondents said it would create more time to spend with family or friends.
• 81% thought it would help them be a better spouse, partner, or significant other.
• 76% thought it would help them be more available to their friends.
• 61% of those with children (or plan to have children someday) thought a job with work flexibility would help them be a better parent.
• 55% of those with pets said having a flexible job would help them be a better pet owner.

Positive Impact on Bottom Line

For employers, offering your workforce flexible schedules provides your employees with a better work/life balance. FlexJobs also found that respondents overwhelmingly said having flexible work options would help them better themselves, which in turn benefits employers because happy, health workers can positively impact your bottom line.

However …

While this information highlights the importance flexibility has on reducing stress and improving happiness, employers must take into consideration the “monkey see, monkey do” aspect of flexibility. In an “always on,” mobile society, employers and managers who adopt a flexible arrangement must model good practices.
According to the survey, 36% of respondents said their boss doesn’t model good work/life balance practices. Furthermore, only 9% of survey respondents say their boss’ work habits make work/life balance easy for them.
To ensure that all workers, even managers, are on the same page about flexible working arrangement “best practices,” offer training to your workforce before rolling out this benefit. If you currently offer this to your workforce, offer a refresher course on what you expect while people are engaging in a flexible working arrangement.
And finally, when recruiting talent, be sure to emphasize the flexible arrangements your company offers. If you’re unable to offer the candidate a higher salary, highlighting the benefits of a better work/life balance may be all it takes to hook that candidate in!