Welcome to the weekend. Trust your feet are firmly planted because the year is moving very quickly. Or is it just me? Again, it may be the state of the world, but many things and organisations have kicked off in very high gear. Usually, things move slowly in January but that is not the case this year. This is a good thing. These times are pushing the envelope of what was considered the norm, which is why we are looking at what to expect and how to position our HRM this year.
The time has come to be flexible on many levels. Working from home, resumption time, days off, vacation time, dressing, and a lack of bureaucracy to mention a few.
The flexibility of HR practices is defined as ‘the extent to which an organisation’s HR practices can be adapted and applied across a variety of situations, or across various sites or units of the organisation, and the speed with which these adaptations and application can be made in response to external stimuli to gain advantage and sustain competitive positions.
With ever-improving technology, more and more jobs can be performed from any location, which opens a lot of options for employers looking to provide this sought-after benefit for employees
With ever-improving technology, more and more jobs can be performed from any location, which opens a lot of options for employers looking to provide this sought-after benefit for employees. We have been using many of the possibilities, but I just want to reiterate them here.
Working remotely means you do not dictate where the employee is located to do the work. Obviously, this requires the type of job that can be done from anywhere. A remote working option could be implemented full-time, or it could be implemented for a specified number of days per week. Either way, the employees get the benefit of reduced commuting costs and have the flexibility of working from wherever they may be that day.
A shortened workweek through a compressed work schedule. This type of flexible arrangement allows employees to have longer consecutive periods off work, and that flexibility can be beneficial for many. It works by compressing the work hours into fewer days, such as allowing individuals to work four 10-hour workdays in a row and then take 3 days off. This might allow employees to have more time for personal pursuits or to save money on commuting costs and/or childcare.
Adjusted work hours involve allowing employees to alter their work hours (usually within specified options) to better suit their needs. For example, an employer may allow employees to start their 8-hour workday any time between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. to accommodate those who have other activities that need to be accomplished in the morning or if this is heavy traffic time wherever they are commuting from.
Or you may allow employees to take time out during the workday to attend to personal needs without penalty if they complete the requisite number of agreed-upon hours for the day or week.
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You may also have multiple set schedule options (typically done to ensure coverage during specific times) but still allow employees to choose which of the schedule options best fits their needs. Yet another option for employers is to allow the work to be done at any time that suits the employee if all the work gets done in a timely manner within a specified time.
Part-time work can be a benefit for individuals who would prefer to work fewer total hours in a workweek. This is especially true if an employer opts to offer part-time employees some or all the benefits that are available to full-time employees (as loss of benefits is one big reason that a lot of people do not look for part-time work, even if they could otherwise benefit from fewer hours).
In the Western world, more organizations are trying the idea of unlimited vacation time. This type of arrangement usually is set up with specific requirements that must be met before vacation can be taken—such as being up to date with work or having a continuation plan in place for ongoing work. Usually, such an organization will need to have a culture that rewards employees for doing their job well, regardless of how many hours the individual is at the workplace.
There are benefits for both employers and employees when using flexible working arrangements. For example, with staggering work start times, the employer may benefit from having employees working for a longer part of the day, thus being available for customers for longer. Flexibility is linked to greater employee productivity, higher morale and job satisfaction, decreased absenteeism and burnout and reduced turnover.
We may think in our part of the world this is difficult to sustain but the last couple of years have shown us this is possible. Thinking out of the building is key for managing our human resources this year.
Have a great weekend.
