No question, flexibility is the buzzword
of the hour. And although it certainly sounds like a noble goal, can companies
actually make it work? Here are some
points given by Kira Makagon:
Realistic expectations
Makagon cites a recent survey of
millenial employees, in which 60% of respondents said their employers expect
them to be reachable during non-work time, and 70% said they work 20 hours or
more outside regular office hours. That kind of demand on people’s time could
come back to bite employers — not just because of burnt-out workers, but
because employees who simply wish to work a normal schedule could come to be
viewed as “not trying hard enough,” Makagon says.
Technology: Double-edged sword
Today’s communication options make it
too easy for organizations to have those overblown expectations. Makagon
suggests the following:
Give your employees the ability to
manage their business and personal communications separately, from the same
device. Do your best to manage expectations regarding appropriate email
response times, especially during the night, and on weekends and vacation
periods.
That ‘martyr’ feeling
Makagon cites a recent Glassdoor survey
that revealed half of American workers don’t take all their vacation time, and
15% don’t take any time off at all. Glassdoor calls that phenomenon the ‘work
martyr complex,’ or feelings of insecurity combined with a
‘nobody-else-can-do-my-job’ attitude.
“Both employers and employees must shift
their ideas about job security to truly achieve work-life balance and a
flexible work environment,” Makagon says. “Employees shouldn’t leave for the
beach with a task list in tow, and employers should respect their need to take
a break.”
A valuable perk
No, question, Makagon says, workplace
flexibility is a highly desired feature of today’s workplace. Millennials,
especially, would prefer the option of remote working, and many say they’d take
less salary to have that choice.
Bottom line: “You have the power to
motivate employees with a dispensable resource,” says Makagon. “So use it
wisely.”
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