Flexible Working Requires a Good Balance
Recently, we’ve seen an increase in employers asking about their options when it comes to flexible working. In particular, we’ve had many questions about the issue of a four-day working week.
A Four-Day Working Week?
The traditional five-day working week has been set in stone for most since the Industrial Revolution. But in recent years, we’ve seen massive changes to the established pattern of the working day with more flexible contracts, working from home, and a significant proportion of jobs that require different hours. As a business owner, you need to strike a balance. Could you still meet customer demand? Would squeezing five days’ work into four potentially have a detrimental rather than a positive effect on staff? Or could a four-day working week alleviate stress levels and improve job satisfaction?
A Promising Trial
It has been shown to work. Businesses are willing to consider whether a four-day working week is feasible. A New Zealand company, Perpetual Guardian, recently trialled a four-day working week for the same pay as a five-day week. Despite initial concerns, the managers found that employee productivity levels remained consistent throughout the trial period, and staff satisfaction and commitment increased. That said, it’s a tricky one for employers to get the balance right. There’s an increasing recognition that by listening to employees’ needs, you can get far more out of your staff and improve their well-being. However, you’ve got a business to run and that will demand a certain timetable and levels of productivity and accountability. Radically overhauling the entire working week is a big step. The reality is that it’s a long way off for most organizations.
Could Flexible Working be the Answer?
Introducing more flexible working and ensuring employees are able to complete the work on time without adding extra stress, may be a more realistic option. More flexible working arrangements can, undeniably, bring a lot of benefits. Studies reveal that such arrangements are likely to improve employees overall work-life balance, reduce workplace stress and health-related symptoms, reduce absenteeism, increase job satisfaction and organizational commitment, and maintain their attachment to the labour market. But how could you keep on top of flexible working in your workplace?
Why Your Business Needs Blip
BrightHR (a member of the Peninsula Group) developed Blip. It’s been a massive success and it could change the way you think about flexible working within your business. Blip helps manage your employees’ flexible working arrangements by tracking and recording your team’s working hours—a ‘clocking in and out’ system for the modern workplace. We’ve had some great feedback, and if you’d like more information, just follow this link www.brighthr.com/ca/blip or call a member of our team on 1-833-247-3658 and we’d be delighted to talk you through it.
