The Benefits of Flexible Working and Options Available

Flexible working means being able to work in a way that suits your specific needs. It can offer many benefits, including greater control, less travel, and a better work/life balance. If you're thinking about pursuing flexible working, you'll need to understand the different types available and what they could offer you. In this article, we outline the benefits of flexible working for employers and employees and provide examples of how you might use it in your job.

Benefits of flexible working for employees

The benefits of flexible work are that it offers you more control over your lifestyle. This may occur in such areas as:

Time for family

Many workers have a family, which comes with its own set of responsibilities and dilemmas. Parents may need to take their children to and from school. Some workers need to care for elderly family members or someone with a disability. Traditional eight-hour day contracts may not adhere to these needs.

Flexible working makes it possible to meet family needs while still having a good job. Remote working opportunities means careers can be on call for loved ones who need their help during the day. Flexible start and finish times let parents fit their work around school runs. Flexible working makes it much easier for you to accept jobs without disrupting your lifestyle. In addition, this can boost your wellbeing.

Less commuting

Many people find commuting is a stressful, inconvenient experience because of delays and fuel costs. Many flexible working positions let you work from home or at another location. This means that you can spend your time and money more effectively by working somewhere that's easier to get to. You may also find that your performance improves when you no longer have to commute.

Increased control of time

To maintain your wellbeing, it's important to feel in control. Some people may feel a loss of control when they have a strict job contract that dictates every minute of their working day. Opting for a non-traditional job where hours don't follow a set time can help with increasing your control of personal time. Flexible working can give back this control and offer you the chance to work in a way that suits your individual needs.

Employees who work flexibly can structure their day themselves, which encourages autonomy and creates a sense of respect between employers and employees. This feeling of control and trust can boost morale and encourage you to work using your own initiative. With greater control, you can make conscious decisions that improve your workplace performance and increase your chances of staying with the company for a long time.

Personal preferences

Everyone has different energy cycles that dictate when they work best. Some have more energy in the early hours of the day, while others feel an energy peak in the afternoon or evening. Traditional 9–5 jobs may not suit individual energy cycles, meaning many employees may try to force productivity during hours that simply aren't right for them.

Having flexible working hours enables you to plan your working day around your individual cycle. If you work better in the morning, you can plan early starts and finishes. If you work better in the afternoon or evening, you can start work later in the day. This can also improve your overall performance and productivity and can make you happier, too.

Saving money

If you no longer need to travel to work, you might save money. This may save on gas if you previously drove to work, or public transport costs if you previously took a bus or subway. This can represent a significant saving if you previously commuted some distance to work in a large city.

The costs saved on transport could offset any additional energy costs associated with greater time spent at home, although this depends on your usage. You may also claim tax relief if working from home results in additional household costs. Some employers pay an extra amount to cover the costs of working from home.

Benefits of flexible work for employers

Flexible working can be attractive to employers, too. Some benefits of offering flexible work include:

Increased employee retention

Staff turnover can be extremely expensive and time-consuming for any organization. If a valuable employee seeks a more flexible working life, and their employer doesn't offer one, they may find it necessary to seek employment elsewhere. Offering flexible working opportunities to employees could help retain valuable staff members.

Increased diversity

By limiting their job offerings, employers also limit their candidate pool to those who can work the exact shifts and locations requested. A limited candidate pool may prevent employers from finding some fantastic employees who may have conflicting availability, locations, or staff shifts. By creating flexible working schedules, companies may attract a wider range of potential employees and have a better chance of finding suitable candidates.

Better productivity

Productivity can have an essential role in a team's performance in the workplace. High productivity means that tasks get completed on time and to a high standard. Poor productivity could cost companies time and money fixing errors or hiring more employees to complete tasks. Allowing you to work flexibly could improve productivity levels.

Greater employee engagement

Companies can improve employee engagement by creating a working environment that respects and empowers employees. One way to do this is to offer flexible working contracts. By letting you work flexibly, companies show that you have their trust and they rely upon you to get work done using your own initiative. Employees with higher engagement may perform better than those with low levels of engagement, which leads to:

• fewer days off work
• lower staff turnover
• career longevity

If employees feel like their company cares for them, they're more likely to engage with their work and the company. This can also help increase productivity and team morale.

Examples of flexible working

Flexible working options offer several benefits for those looking to have a positive work-life balance. For example, you may not have to own a business or freelance to work flexibly. Examples of flexible working that you could adapt to your own job include:

• Working from home: There are many jobs suitable for working at home, often only requiring a laptop and a good Internet connection. If you spend most of your working day at a desk, you may be able to work from the comfort of your own home or any remote area.
• Job-share: Job-sharing involves two employees doing one job and splitting the hours. This kind of flexible working is very effective for employees who need to take leave from their role because of personal circumstances.
• Flexitime: This allows you to vary your start and finish times so that you work at hours that best suit you. This is ideal for parents who have to take their children to school in the morning or for those who prefer to start earlier or later in the day.
• Compressed hours: Compressed hours allow you to work a full-time job over fewer days, working long hours on the days that you work. This can be beneficial if you need time off each week to care for someone, or if you have another commitment on certain days.
• Output-based work: Instead of basing your salary on the number of hours you work, some employers may find it easier to require a certain output or for you to perform particular tasks. This allows you to focus on getting the work done, and can also help reduce time-wasting and procrastination.
• Annualized hours: This is where an employee works a certain number of hours over the course of a year, but with greater flexibility in how to distribute those hours. Sometimes there are "core hours," which are mandatory, with a more flexible approach to periods that fall outside these hours.
• Staggered hours: This can be useful in workplaces where there's always a need for someone to be present, with different people working and taking breaks at various times during the day. This can decrease the monotony of set working hours and allow you to find the working pattern that suits you best.