What to Weigh When it Comes to Your Employees and Work Flexibility Options

Working remotely and other location flexibility options for employees were already on the rise when the Covid-19 pandemic struck in March 2020. Then, when the world shut down, so did the physical locations of most businesses, at least those classified as non-essential.

Three years later, things are pretty much back to normal – but for many companies and their workforces, normal has been redefined when it comes to getting work done. While some missed being in the office every day, a significant percentage of employees would prefer to stay home or work from wherever they happen to be.

Finding and retaining high-performing talent is a challenge in today’s market, so as an employer, it’s more important than ever to keep your employees happy and loyal.

What’s the story at your company? Are you offering the right location flex options for your team members? If not, why not? What are the barriers preventing it – and how can you overcome them?

The Benefits and Challenges

In addition to remote and hybrid work, some employers offer flex time, compressed workweeks, shift or part-time work, job sharing, and even snowbirding: allowing people to transfer to locations in warmer regions during winter months. Each comes with both benefits and challenges.

• Employers known for flexibility in working arrangements and locations tend to have better recruitment and retention results, along with improved workforce diversity, cost savings, better attendance and productivity, and increases in employee engagement. Other benefits include minimizing a company’s potentially harmful impact on global ecology by reducing carbon emissions and workplace footprints and allowing for business continuity during emergency circumstances such as a weather disaster or another pandemic.
• Challenges may include monitoring how and where work is being performed to ensure legal compliance. Managing the transition to a workforce with flexible arrangements can also throw a spotlight on proximity bias, working as a team with highly variant schedules, and even maintaining the safety of personnel and company data. Remote workers may feel out of the day-to-day information flow or be distracted by spouses, children, pets or other workspace interruptions. Or, they feel stressed by perceived expectations that they must be available outside “normal business hours.”

Can You Make It Work?

Offering flexible work arrangements may involve a paradigm shift for your company. The challenges are real, but the benefits may be what keeps your business viable and attractive to the best candidates and employees.

See How KeyHR Can Benefit You Today!

The right outsourcing partner to help handle payroll, HR, and other talent management functions can be the solution as you recreate your business model for today’s new normal. KeyHR can help. We’re aligned with leading preferred provider companies to offer new and innovative ways to meet our clients’ needs including cutting costs, saving time, optimizing their workforce, and minimizing risk. Reach out to us today to learn more.