15

Workplace Flexibility

In November 2014, then–Vice President Joe Biden wrote the following memo:

To My Wonderful Staff,

I would like to take a moment and make something clear to everyone. I do not expect, nor do I want, any of you to miss or sacrifice important family obligations for work. Family obligations include, but are not limited to, family birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, any religious ceremonies, such as first communions and bar mitzvahs, graduations, and times of need, such as an illness or a loss in the family. This is very important to me. In fact, I will go so far as to say that if I find out that you are working with me while missing important family responsibilities, it will disappoint me greatly. This has been an unwritten rule since my days in the Senate. Thank you all for the hard work.

Sincerely, Joe¹

When we were an agrarian society, the lines around home and work were nonexistent. People worked and lived on their farms, and there were no schedules. Nature often dictated when tasks were done. During the Industrial Revolution, workers moved from the farm to the factory. Laws and rules evolved to regulate work and work schedules. Now the Information Age is transforming the way we work. Workers are moving from the office back home, and the lines between work and home are getting blurred. We’ve come full circle.

As technology has made it easier to work remotely, workplace flexibility is becoming a reality for organizations. In today’s competitive environment, flexibility and a culture that encourages balance between personal and business obligations are advantages in attracting and retaining the best employees. Smart organizations recognize that allowing employees some flexibility increases their loyalty to the company and is a good retention strategy.

Often thought of as a way to address the needs of employees with young children, workplace flexibility benefits can provide all employees the flexibility to successfully work and manage their personal lives. Gen Xers and Millennials have a very strong work ethic, but they want more balance—and not just the women. Members of these generations have been using technology for years and do not want to be chained to a desk and desktop computer.²

Flexible Work Arrangements

According to a report by WorldatWork issued in 2015, the prevalence of flexible work arrangements (FWAs) continues within organizations, although the types of programs offered vary with telework on an ad-hoc basis, and some type of flex-time or part-time schedules among the most popular. Other programs include:

    Compressed workweek schedules, such as a 4/10 schedule (working four, 10-hour days with one weekday off) or a 9/80 schedule (working nine, nine-hour days over a two-week period, with one weekday every other week off).

    Flex-time with core work hours. Employees can vary their start and stop times, but must be present during core hours every day.

    Part-time schedules, with or without benefits, including non-traditional part-time work, such as one week on/one week off.

    Telework on a regular monthly (at least one day per month) or regular weekly (at least one day per week) basis, but not full-time.

    Telework on a full-time basis.

    Shift flexibility, whereby employees coordinate with coworkers to adjust their schedules by trading shifts.

    Phased retirement.

    Job sharing, in which two employees share the responsibilities, accountability, and compensation of one full-time job.

    Phased return from leave.

    Career on/off ramps.

    A combination of programs tailored to fit an employee’s needs.³

Many of these programs, such as phased return from leave, job sharing, or career on/off ramps, are designed to help employees transition their return to work after a major life event. Alternative location arrangements, in which employees work part-time in one location and part-time in a second location, have also been cited as a means of addressing commuting and congestion issues in communities.

Implementing Flexible Work Arrangements

Flexible work arrangements can indeed meet the needs of today’s changing workforce. However, before implementing any of these programs, make sure they are a good fit for your organization.

    Make sure that the program or programs you want to introduce align with your organization’s culture, mission, and vision.

    Understand the needs of your organization to determine if using FWAs could help meet your goals while meeting your employees’ needs. For example, would FWAs address the need to reduce operating costs, especially those associated with office space and energy efficiency, and provide effective recruitment and retention tools?

    Determine if the type of work performed by an employee or group of employees is suitable for flexibility.

    Determine if FWAs are appropriate throughout the organization or just in certain parts. If they are not appropriate organization-wide, consider how distinctions can be made.

    Obtain top management support by providing corroborating facts showing how FWAs that are effectively implemented can increase not just morale and employee engagement, but productivity and return on investment.

    Engage middle management in the design and implementation. Line managers must have an understanding of their organization’s FWA policy and program for it to be effective. Ensuring their involvement will help them to understand the needs of the employees they manage.

    Survey your employees to understand the types of programs that will meet their needs. Engage them in the design and implementation process.

    Research what other employers in your industry and in your geographic location are doing, but recognize that there is not one solution that will be right for all employers.

    Design ways to measure the success of your programs early in the process. This will help to show their value and success. Measurements can be simple, easy-to-administer tools such as employee surveys that measure participation and satisfaction.

    Train line managers and supervisors. When they need them, employees will most likely learn about these programs from their manager rather than from other sources such as human resources, their employee handbook, formal communications, or coworkers.

The Legal Landscape

Because many of the flexible work arrangements involve changes to work schedules or working from alternative locations, it is important to make sure they comply with the laws and regulations discussed throughout this book. Most importantly, assure that you are in compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA). Other applicable laws include the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) and non-discrimination requirements of federal and state civil rights laws with regard to how these programs are implemented. Assure that all employees have access to these programs on the basis of relevant business reasons. Finally, make sure that you understand the applicable state workers’ compensation programs for all of your organization’s locations.

Telecommuting

Telecommuting, sometimes referred to as distributed work, mobile work, or remote work, is on the rise. Advances in technology, especially the introduction of mobile computing devices and cloud-based storage, make it possible for employees to work from different places and under different arrangements. Working from home either intermittently or regularly under a formal arrangement is becoming typical, as is working remotely from a different geographic location, satellite office, or other work center. Global Workforce Analytics’ research finds that:

    Fifty percent of the U.S. workforce holds a job that is compatible with at least partial telework and approximately 20–25 percent of the workforce teleworks at some frequency.

    Eighty to 90 percent of the U.S. workforce would like to telework at least part-time, with two to three days a week as an ideal balance between concentrative work (at home) and collaborative work (at the office).

    Fortune 1000 companies around the globe are revamping their physical space because employees are already mobile.

    There is a return on investment for organizations who adopt telework: a savings of up to $11,000 per person per year for the company and between $2,000 and $7,000 a year for the telecommuter.¹⁰

Approach telecommuting as a business strategy. In addition to considering it as a retention tool for existing employees, it’s also a way to attract top talent, regardless of where they live. Organizations are beginning to view it as a business imperative required to stay competitive in the modern workforce.¹¹

There are issues that companies need to consider when integrating telecommuting, whether it’s on an intermittent or regular basis. Two of the first considerations should be the suitability of the position and the individual employee. In today’s knowledge economy, many jobs are a natural fit for telecommuting. Is the nature of the work independent, or does it require constant, personal interaction with others? Does the work require a great deal of concentration? How will results be measured? In determining which employees make good candidates for telecommuting, consider characteristics such as their self-motivation, performance, organization and time-management skills, and their familiarity with the job and work. Their tenure with the company, though an important consideration, should not be the overriding factor.

There may be resistance from line managers concerned about supervising and controlling the work of a remote employee. Managers and other team members need to know how to communicate and collaborate with a virtual employee, and the employee needs to know this as well. Make sure everyone involved, most especially line managers, know how to use the right technologies and tools to facilitate all interaction with virtual employees and other team members. Finally, managers must communicate expectations, and be comfortable empowering and trusting their employees to achieve the required results rather than focusing on the time spent “working.”

Employees should also be aware of the challenges present when they work from home. Traditional challenges for the employee working from home may include:

    Isolation and lack of interaction, and the perceived lack of the ability to collaborate with team members. This is why it’s important to make sure that both the job/position and the person are suited for telecommuting. Processes should be in place for regular check-in meetings, whether these meetings are in-person or through technology.

    Household distractions and reduced living space. These could be factors for employees who telecommute on a regular basis. Although dedicated work space has been a standard requirement for telecommuting, more portable computing devices allow for more fluid working space both inside and outside the office.

    A lack of support services (but these can be addressed through portals to the organization’s internal services). Technical support may be a consideration and this is why it’s imperative to have IT involved from the beginning.

    The perceived hindrance of career advancement. This makes it important to provide training to employees about career management and progressing through the company as a virtual employee.

Technology provides the framework that allows employees to work remotely. It’s critical that IT understand the business requirements and HR, along with other business leaders must understand the technical needs, the current resources and the limitations of technology. Technology needs integrated hardware, software, and security. It’s important to determine and set guidelines regarding:

    What equipment the employer will provide and maintain.

    What equipment, if any, the employee will provide and maintain.

    The appropriate use of employer-provided equipment and software, making employees aware they are to be used only for work-related purposes.

    Placing controls to prevent uploading of unauthorized programs (for example, virus programs).

    Maintaining an inventory of employer-provided equipment.

    Ensuring the protection (physical security) of employer-provided equipment.

    Providing technical support for installation and maintenance of equipment and software.

Cybersecurity is critical in today’s environment, and organizations should be mindful of the security of their data which workers are accessing outside of the secure office environment. The portability of equipment makes it easy for all employees, not just those who work remotely, to do so in public places using their work devices to communicate via unsecured public networks. Safeguards should be in place against potential breaches. These include:

    Password-protecting all business devices.

    Making sure that all data going out from those devices is encrypted.

    Keeping a current inventory of all devices and making sure each has its GPS tracking turned on.

    Installing technology to remotely wipe data from a lost or stolen device.¹²

Risk management is a key consideration, especially for regular telecommuting arrangements. Be sure that the appropriate staff members from your organization are consulted, and discuss the following with them:

    How will the organization determine regular hours of work? It may dictate whether an injury is compensable under workers’ compensation.

    What procedures will be in place for reporting work-related injuries?

    How will the organization monitor the effects of overwork and isolation, which could lead to stress-related illness, burnout, and reduced productivity?

    Will the organization provide training in ergonomics, equipment use, and safety? If the employer provides the equipment, there is more certainty that it is ergonomically correct.

    Will the organization be involved in setting up the home office and workstation?

    Will the organization consider conducting home inspections to ensure safety standards are met?

Also consider posting safety notices on the intranet. Discuss insurance and liability with your insurance broker or risk-management department. Be sure you understand:

    What your general liability will cover.

    What the employee’s homeowner’s, renters’, and automobile liability will cover.

    Who will be responsible for injuries to third parties (for example, if the employee is having a meeting at his or her home or is driving a client in his or her car).

    Who will be responsible for equipment losses and damages.

    Appendix: Template for a Telecommuting Agreement.

Implementing a Telecommuting Program

Telecommuting programs are a type of flexible work arrangement, and there are some additional considerations for employers:

    Develop a telecommuting policy (or guidelines) and a telecommuting agreement. They should discuss eligibility, guidelines for equipment, work space at home, IT, security, and risk management. Expectations and objectives should also be included. Additionally, include provisions for ending the telecommuting arrangement.

    Set goals, objectives, and measurements tied to the organization’s business case for the program, such as reduced operating costs, energy efficiency and environmental sustainability, competitive advantage, recruitment, and retention.

    Pilot the program. Strategically choose one part of the organization in which the program is likely to enjoy success and start there. Use the pilot program to develop metrics and gather lessons learned. Make any necessary adjustments before expanding the program to the entire organization.

    Develop a communication strategy. For the program to be effective, managers, employees, and applicants need to know about it. Use a wide range of communication media such as brochures, job aids, frequently asked questions, intranet pages dedicated to telework, and blogs. In addition to advertising the program, discuss the value it brings to the organization and the employee, as well as the lessons learned during the pilot program.

    Provide training. Both managers and employees need to understand the goals of the program, the criteria for eligibility, the roles and responsibilities of the manager and employee, the support that is available, and the expectations. You can use customized instructor-led or online training, as well as the communication tools discussed in the previous point.

Discussion Questions

1.    Changing weather patterns, higher energy costs, traffic, and other external factors may be drivers for organizations to consider flexible work arrangements. What types of creative approaches do you think organizations could use to address these external factors?

2.    What flexible work arrangements, if any, has your organization implemented? What lessons have you learned during the implementation process? What adjustments have you made?

3.    One of the myths about flexible work arrangements is that they are designed to address the needs of working mothers. What other segments of the workforce are requesting and benefiting from flexibility, and how can their needs be met?

4.    Other than recruitment and retention, what benefits can an organization derive from flexible work arrangements?

5.    What measures has your organization made to address cybersecurity? Namely, what have you done to protect mobile computing devices and the information communicated through them?