Flexibility in the workplace is important because many employees want the chance to work from home or work longer shifts instead of shorter shifts. The more flexible you are as an employer and your company is as a whole, the more comfortable your workers will feel. There are a few ways in which companies became more flexible over the years.
Varying Hours
The idea of working a nine to five job that requires you go in every day at the same time and leave at the same time is on its way out. Many companies now give employees the chance to set their own hours. Workers can come in early in the morning or late at night and still work the same amount they would during set hours. Gary Beckstrand of Entrepreneur recommends setting the same rules for all employees though. No matter what shifts or hours they work, every employee must still work the same 40 hours per week.
Longer Shifts
Very few hospitals in the country today still have doctors and nurses working five eight-hour shifts each week. Many of those medical professionals work four 12-hour shifts instead. To increase the flexibility of your workplace, you can give employees the option of working longer or shorter shifts. Some people still prefer working more short shifts in a week than a smaller number of longer shifts. You may even let workers pick when they want to get their work done such as letting them choose between early morning shifts and longer overnight shifts.
Paid Time Off
The more time that you spend sitting in the same place and doing the same things day after day, the less happy you will be about the work that you do. When your workers feel trapped in the office, their performances can suffer too. A smart way to increase flexibility and get your employees excited about their work again is with paid time off. Give your workers a few hours of paid time off each week that they can use for specific things like working out at the gym or doing volunteer work for a charity associated with your company. Make it clear what they can use that time for though.
Offer Remote Work
Reddit, the social media site, turned quite a few heads when it announced that it would move operations and expected all employees to move also or lose their jobs. Other companies now know that employees can do many of the same tasks from home that they could do in an office setting. Offering remote work lets your employees work from home a few hours a week or work from home completely. They can stay at home with their kids or loved ones and work at the same time, during the hours that work with their personal obligations.
Become a Hang Out
When looking at ways to increase flexibility in the workplace, you should look at what other companies like Google did in the past. Google offers employees the chance to get a massage or take a nap and offers fun activities throughout the day. It even has its own cafeteria and offers employees free meals, snacks and drinks. Turning your office into a fun hang out place will encourage employees to work anywhere in the office. They can work on comfy couches in the lounge, take a break for a snack and get a mental boost when doing activities with other workers.
Flexible workplaces are more popular with job seekers and have a better reputation. Many companies increased flexibility in the workplace without sacrificing production or quality with remote work and letting workers set their own hours and shifts.
