Flexible work is sweeping the globe. Since the early onset of the COVID pandemic, companies had to encounter creative solutions to the problem of not being allowed to go to the office. Naturally, many launched into the digital world, with companies using remote meeting platforms to continue on as normal.
While lockdown restrictions have lifted since the pandemic, the overwhelming tendency to approach work with a more flexible mindset has not. At present, over 80% of companies offer some form of flexible work policy, allowing their employees to work from home during certain days or find their own schedule balance.
While flexible working scenarios have impressive mental health benefits for employees, helping to prevent burnout, the main reason that companies have opted for this new structure is for productivity benefits. In this article, we’ll explore the various ways that flexible work can boost employee productivity.
We’ll cover how flexible working structures impact employee productivity, the top flexible work benefits, and case studies of flexible work in the real world. Let’s dive right in.
How Does Flexible Work Boost Employee Productivity?
Flexible work can come in many different styles. Some companies go for more traditional approaches and permit employees to work from home on certain days of the week. Other companies opt for flexible schedules where employees can come and go whenever they’d like, as long as they complete the work they need to do.
Whatever style a business goes for, there are always valuable productivity gains to be made. When looking at studies, flexible workers tend to work more than their office coworkers. This is down to the sheer amount of wasted time that occurs in an office. An employee could be distracted by another or simply have to wait idly for the day to end once they finish all their work.
On average, flexible workers work over 1.4 days more per month than their coworkers, accounting for all the lost office time. This equates to over half a month of additional work every year, which can add up astoundingly.
Another factor to consider is that flexible work helps employees to reduce the likelihood of burnout. Burnout is a leading contributor to poor productivity, harming work output by around 22%. By alleviating these factors and contributing to a better work-life balance, flexible work can boost employee productivity by several degrees.
Top Benefits of Flexible Work for My Business
When choosing to pursue the pathway of flexible work, there are a number of potential benefits to focus on. For businesses that are looking to prove the ROI of flexible work, it’s a good idea to explore these benefits and how they can impact an organization.
As we’ve previously discussed, flexible work can help to reduce the likelihood of burnout and contribute to higher rates of productivity. Yet, the advantages of flexible work don’t stop there. Here are some of the other top benefits your business can expect when switching to a more flexible approach:
- Improved Workplace Culture: Organizations where employees are happier and less stressed report high rates of workplace culture engagement, with employees being more inclined to build relationships with others, show loyalty to your company, and promote a positive workplace culture.
- Better Retention and Recruitment: Top talent is increasingly searching for better working conditions, with flexible schedules being a high priority on the list. Businesses that can offer flexible work will receive more attention from top talent and boost their own employee retention rates.
- Boosted Job Satisfaction: Employees who have more flexibility in their work are happier in their jobs and report higher rates of satisfaction. This can contribute to higher employee retention and decreased employee churn over the course of your company’s lifetime.
Flexible work offers productivity, mental health, workplace culture, and work-life balance benefits – what’s not to love?
Case Studies of Flexible Working and Employee
One style of flexible work that has caught the most attention over the past few years has been the idea of the four-day workweek. This is often combined with other practices, like working from home on certain days, to provide employees with the highest rates of satisfaction possible.
The United Kingdom launched a four-day workweek involving nearly 3,000 participants. The employees scaled back their workweek by having Friday off while keeping pay the same. Researchers recorded overwhelmingly positive results from the study, with:
- 71% feel less burnout
- 48% with increased job satisfaction
- 39% less stressed
- 60% stated that their work-life balance was better
Alongside these employee benefits, the 32-hour week actually had positive impacts on revenue, with the bottom line growing by over 1.4% across 23 companies involved. For 24 other companies in the experiment, revenue grew over 34% compared to the same period during the previous year.
This, combined with countless other four-day workweek experiments around the world, shows that employees and employers are much better off when adopting flexible working structures.
While the four-day workweek is a shining example in this regard, it is far from the only option, with all flexible work schedules offering a range of productivity and health benefits.
Final Thoughts
With the sheer quantity of benefits that flexible work can offer to a business, this workplace trend isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. When embracing flexible work, companies can also expect fewer employees on site each day. Due to this change, many businesses are focusing on improving the office work infrastructure to provide a higher-quality work experience for those who do go in.
MEAVO offers a range of office workstations and pods that allow workers to get more done while in the office. Prioritizing comfort, style, and privacy, these workpods are the perfect space to get some deep work done while in the office. While flexible working means that not all of your workers will be in at one time, those who are can get more out of their workdays with MEAVO.
Reach out to the MEAVO team for more details.