Flexible working has become increasingly popular over the years, whether it is ‘flexitime’, allowing workers to choose how they spread out their weekly hours, or ‘hybrid working’, letting employees choose whether to work from home or in the office.
If you are considering implementing flexible working into your business, here are 5 reasons why offering flexible working can boost employee productivity.
Flexible working hours means more time in the working day
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us were forced to work from home. Though some businesses stuck to their normal operating hours, others allowed for more flexibility.
One study found that home workers faced bigger workloads during the past year. Therefore, flexible working during the pandemic allowed employees to work more productively, making sure that they managed to complete all their tasks.
This study also found that this meant that home workers logged an average of two hours longer per day than their office counterparts. In turn, this can boost employee productivity, as it allows staff time to get everything done before logging off at the end of the day.
Employees can work from home, which means no commuting
The average commute time to work in the UK is 59 minutes, which amounts to a whopping 221 hours a year getting to and from work. Employees who had to commute for this long, or further, cited lack of employee flexibility.
If your business offered flexible working options, this could drastically reduce the amount of time workers were required to commute – time which could be spent either in the office, or at home with the family recharging the batteries.
By offering positions that could be undertaken completely from home, this also allows you to tap into the labour market of the who country, or even the whole world, allowing you to access the greatest talent.
Reduced sickness leave taken
We’ve all been there- when you catch a bug that is not bad enough you have to see a doctor, but you still have to take the day off work just in case. However, by offering flexible working, this allows employees, who feel like they can, to work from home (or even from bed!) when they aren’t feeling 100%.
The Office of National Statistics reports that an estimated 141.4 million working days are lost because of sickness or injury each year, the equivalent to 4.4 days per worker. Thus, by offering flexible working practices, this will reduce the amount of sick leave taken by your team, improving productivity.
Less stress about childcare and other responsibilities
No-one’s life revolves solely around work. Many of us have children, elderly family members, or other responsibilities that need to be taken care of. For example, when choosing a job, it is logical to think about the nearby childcare services, and stress about how your kids might be looked after.
However, flexible working allows workers to nip out to collect their kids from school, making up the time later in the week. It also means that they can look after their dependents when they are sick by working from home.
Opportunity for a better work-life balance
And finally, flexible working allows for a better work-life balance, reducing the risk of employee burnouts and work-related mental health issues. Overall, flexible working allows for a better life, greater productivity at work, and access to the greatest minds in the world without geographical restrictions.
