Before COVID 19 ever happened, before social distancing and before many of us relocated to temporary home offices, there was a lot of talk about work-life balance. About the benefits of offering flexibility as a perk, and about organisations taking their employees’ entire lives and beings into consideration. And, odds are this will remain a focus even after we’ve pulled through and the crisis is over.
While a lot of effort now is naturally aimed at just getting through this immensely challenging period, it can still be a good idea to consider how to give employees the flexibility they’re after – proactively creating a plan to make the future better for employees. Something that was recently underlined by Gallup, explaining that “leaders should take this opportunity to address workers’ needs for flexibility that are now surfacing — and consider how better to accommodate their lives.”
How to do that? Well, there are a bunch of ways to add some flexibility, and that depends on the unique culture that runs through your organisation. That said, organisations can beneficially start by considering the three points below, and see if they can find a way to incorporate them into the workplace:
1: Flexible schedules
While its true that not everyone can do the whole WFH thing (as certain jobs have to be done on the premises), it’s still worth asking whether you can offer some flexibility to their overall schedules. An example would be working mothers, 38 % of which (in another Gallup study) didn’t think their organisations “met their needs to change their schedule”. Where it could be quite beneficial to consider the lives these employees lead outside of work, and make sure there is a balance and room for change if necessary.
2: Flexible workplace
After this crisis is over, we’ll bet our left socks this will be a way more prominent perk in the workplace. Which seems quite safe to say, considering that Gallup has already shown that “three in five U.S. workers who have been doing their jobs from home during the coronavirus pandemic would prefer to continue to work remotely as much as possible.” Implying that, if this wasn’t a consideration before, it may be a good idea to look closer at the possibility moving forward.
3: Flexible dress code
While this is not to say that the dress code should be totally dropped, and shorts and a tank top should be considered an acceptable alternative to a suit and tie, it can be beneficial to consider where said dress code can be a bit more relaxed. Comfort and self expression being important factors in doing one’s best job, and being engaged while doing so. I.e. formal wear and a strict dress code may be required in certain circumstances (like, client meetings and such), but may not always be necessary for all teams. Which is worth keeping in mind when working toward a future workplace where employees are comfortable and feel like they and their whole selves belong.
Overall, it is probable that the focus on flexibility, and the number of employees who require some form of it, will only grow from here. Meaning that it can be a pretty good idea to look over the organisation and see where said flexibility can be offered. And remember, there are a lot of different types of workplace flexibility that cater to different needs and different people. Different types that should be looked at, and added if possible and necessary for the people working in your organisation.
Sources: https://www.gallup.com/workplace/310214/amid-covid-let-rethink-workplace-flexibility.aspx
https://www.gallup.com/workplace/238070/women-america-work-life-lived-insights-business-leaders.aspx
https://news.gallup.com/poll/306695/workers-discovering-affinity-remote-work.aspx
