Offering flexibility is great, but there also needs to be some sort of flow to allow the work to operate smoothly and prevent the flexibility from getting in the way of deadlines. That's why working on a task-based schedule is recommended. A team can assign tasks that need to be done by day, by week or by month and as long as the tasks are done by the set deadline, employees are free to work however and whenever they please.
When designing a flexible work arrangement, based on personal experience, I would advise you not to forget about time zones. Times zones and flexible work policies can cut two ways. On the one hand, when you have employees in different time zones, especially on a global level, you need to be mindful of ensuring communication overlap daily. If you allow employees total freedom to work whenever they want, global employees might have work days that never cross over. This can result in inefficiencies, as email conversations take full days between singular responses. This can greatly dampen productivity as employees wait for answers from colleagues. Conversely, requiring too much overlap in work days defeats the purpose of a flexible work policy, and can turn team members off. You need to be mindful of time zone differences and find balance in common sense limitations on work hours.
The expectation of employees has increased for HR policies. Now they want options like a hybrid, WFO, and WFH works. Working in the same traditional 9 to 5 schedule seems obsolete and not suitable for various employees. However, HR should keep a few things in mind while developing a flexible work policy. Whenever you develop flexible HR policies keep in mind how will you major productivity. You have to be proactive and visionary while developing policies to find whether the policies would retain the productivity of the employee or not. If the flexible policy is good to go with the set productivity criteria, there is no harm to keep it flexible. For this, don’t hesitate to take the help of the concerned persons in your company. It is because being HR you may don’t have much idea about all the productivity measures. So, taking help will be effective to come up with flexible yet productive policies.
Human resources professionals should provide new employees with access to one or more videos related to the digital tools that they will be using on a regular basis, often on a daily basis. If a new employee already has intimate knowledge about Outlook, Slack, Notion, Calendly or other tools that your company may use, make sure they still take part in the video orientation. It’s important that everyone learns those tools and has access to the teaching video. Make it so everyone participates. The fewer disruptions caused by novices using new digital tools, the better it is for everyone.
Many times companies try to reinvent the wheel and lose focus on compatibility between job requirements and fits. We are heading to a new remote work lifestyle, and this trend won't change. Same with the newly discovered need and demand for flexibility at work. But while establishing a flexible work policy, we might forget that not everyone is suited for it, the same way as not everyone loves to work remotely, hybrid or onsite. Flexible policy means an accountable, independent personality, and so hiring based on this and keeping in mind human complexity and uniqueness, companies might find very efficient ways to establish such a flexible culture.
Although it is one of the more tedious parts of putting together a flexible work policy, it is critical you find out about the legal requirements and regulations and is also why you should consult a labor attorney before finalizing your structure. Laws can vary from state to state, or even county to county, and not having a full understanding of those requirements can cause major headaches future. Therefore, understanding proper ways to monitor work hours, what designates overtime, how to clarify exemption classifications, and who is eligible for certain benefits, are all critical factors that must be taken into account and need of professional oversight. By seeking the advice of a qualified labor attorney when creating your flexible work policy, you can make sure that you that protect you and your business from any legal entanglements in the future.
Impose strict data security measures when developing a flexible work policy. Since employees can work in almost any place they prefer, your company information has a chance of getting hacked or leaked. Solid guidelines against data breaches encourage employees to exercise due care with the information you entrusted to them. To minimize the risk of unauthorized data exposure, prohibit employees from connecting to unsecured networks like public wifi. Instead, instruct them to use a secured VPN and not to let other people get hold of their work computers or any documents related to their jobs. Otherwise, they'll face the consequences of not protecting the company's privacy and confidentiality.
When developing a flexible work policy, you need to be clear about an employee's accountability towards their work and productivity. This gives the power over to your employees to determine their timelines and finish their work. You need to create an ecosystem or a process based on accountability, such as an OKR system or a productivity tracker. This will ensure that your employees are accountable for their work, they are taking ownership and finishing their tasks as per their schedules. Let your employees set timelines for themselves. For example, if an employee needs to deliver a task by 5 pm, they will work accordingly and complete it as per their timeline. Similarly, if your employees want to adhere to a strict 9 am - 5 pm work schedule, allow them to proceed. This way your employees are more accountable for their work.
Workplace Health and Performance Pracitioner at Fit + Healthy 365
Answered 3 years ago
A flexible work policy is the way of the future. Gone are the days of rigid work hours, locations, etc. Employees have realized the immense benefits of having more flexibility in their day, especially in regards to their health and wellness. When crafting your policy, the most important thing to do is talk to your employees. Find out their needs, their challenges, their pain points. Gather data through anonymous surveys and actual conversations. Your employees will tell you the most important things to consider as part of the policy. Not only will this get you the best policy for your organization, it also helps to build trust and demonstrates a collaborative effort. Side note: the trust only works if you actually listen to the feedback and include (some of) the input.
Flexible work policies often involve less contact with employees which means that monitoring and motivating them can be a challenge, and this is why it is critical to match incentives with the desired outcomes. Offering a basic salary pay structure does little to motivate employees beyond their own sense of responsibility, and the disconnect that comes with flexible work schedules, can further separate their efforts from the business’s overall goals. Therefore, outlining goals for your team, offering an incentive structure that drives them towards those goals, and readjusting motivating factors as each objective is reached, is critical to keep your business moving forward. By making certain that you create an incentive structure that aligns with your business objectives, you will be able to maintain your team's motivation while providing a clearer picture of where you want your business to go.
In response to recent challenges, our company officially implemented a flexible work policy earlier this year. While we certainly made mistakes during this process, one detail we nailed was defining productivity expectations early on. Given this was a massive change to how our employees typically operated, we felt it was important to clarify what productivity means to our organization. That way our employees had clear goals to hit and a roadmap to help them get there, even when working from home. As such, I would highly recommend other HR professionals make it a priority to define productivity and how management measures it, so employees have a clear understanding of how they should be spending their time.
HR leaders should consider compressed workweeks for their flexible work policies. It's an attractive prospect for candidates and talents in this digital age, and HR teams should look into implementing four days of work with extended hours than a regular workweek. Expand on these compressed workweeks and allow employees to choose. For example, offer 10 hours of work for four days with Monday or Friday off for long weekends. Consider longer workday cycles and adjust the hours for extended rest during weekends. As long as the policy strays away from the traditional workweek format, it's an excellent way to create and implement a flexible work policy.
In a hybrid work environment, efficient and straightforward communication is key. The platform doesn't matter as much as how you use it. Creating distinct channels for different teams and topics, setting guidelines on how often people should be checking in, and even relegating off-topic discussion to a different channel can help with maintaining productivity and facilitating connections in a virtual environment.
The key to a successful flexible work policy is to create structure within the extra freedom. Increased flexibility can significantly benefit employers and employees alike, as it takes the pressure off of supervisors and allows employees to work how they work best. Within that framework, you want to make sure you have clearly defined and spelled out expectations. People thrive when they know what is expected of them and have some autonomy and freedom.
One of the most important things to keep in mind when developing a flexible work policy is the presence of adaptability. What works for one company might not work for another, and what works in one department might not. The key is to be willing to experiment and find what works best for your organization as a whole. Additionally, it's essential to keep communication lines open between managers and employees. This way, everyone is on the same page and knows what to expect, and no employee gets left behind.
Co-founder and CEO at Community Tax
Answered 3 years ago
Before you begin setting up a new flexible working policy, make sure to first engage your team and get their input. Allow them to provide their thoughts on what aspects they would like to see changes to or what areas they would like to keep the same. This way, you can be sure to have a policy that is both flexible and effective at keeping everyone engaged and successful.
Wellness benefits are significantly more in demand for the remote workforce. The flexible schedule of the remote setting can be initially hard to manage. Furthermore, there is a detachment from the rest of the team when working remotely. These can be considered difficulties that put employees at risk of burnout. Another in-demand request is to keep a working schedule. The work-from-home system can blur the distinction between the two, but still, it is better to have strict time schedules and only have employees inquire about their reports or submit them during work hours. This practice is also beneficial in the long run as it prevents mental burnout and workplace silos and promotes efficiency in the workflow.
Some employees prefer working in the office, while others are most productive when out in the crowd or surrounded by nature. Understand that many employees want more workspace flexibility and freedom, as they are location independent and can work efficiently even outside the confines of the corporate office. This is one thing HR leaders need to consider when creating a flexible work policy. As much as you trust onsite employees, workers outside your building are reliable and can handle tasks without intense supervision. As long as the business provides them with the support they need, there is no doubt they can bring positive results to the company and help achieve its goals.
It's kind of redundant if you create a flexible work policy that doesn't isn't flexible when it comes to revision and making changes. Accept the fact that you may not get every detail down in this new policy which is why having a trial period to test its efficacy is important. You'll be able to gauge what needs tweaking, which perks actually benefit your employees, and which ones aren't particularly useful to them so you can go back to the drawing board and perfect the policy.
Setting clear communication standards is one best practice for flexible work policies. Communication expectations need to be firm to ensure everything stays on schedule. Remote work miscommunications or lack of communication can break things down very quickly otherwise. Setting mandatory conference times and other mainstay meetings can be crucial to maximizing productivity.