The conceptual image of FlexiTime has been in flux over the past few years in the workplace and with its shifting image continues to morph, it is a topic which becomes more and more relevant to Irish workers.
It has been proven to boost workplace well-being and inspire increased staff retention.
A survey of 1,000 Irish employees last year showed that 82 per cent of employees felt flexitime made them more positive about their work while 79 per cent said it made them more loyal to their employer.
These staggering statistics are undoubtedly due in large part to the ability of the employee to actualise their work style preference and the trust which is demonstrated in them by their employer.
Are you ready to begin a new conversation with your staff and drive your workplace well-being?
How Flex Scheduling Improves Workplace Wellbeing
While in UK Employment Law, the Employment Rights Act of 1996 entitles employees to ask for a change to their contractual terms after 26 weeks continuous working, only those returning from parental leave hold this legal entitlement under Irish Law.
Having said that, this is not to say that you can’t liaise with your staff and make flexitime a workplace standard!
While flexitime is traditionally seen to accommodate individuals with special commitments outside of work, offering it to employees can bolster their commitment to workplace productivity.
Though it may seem counterintuitive, revising your employees’ hours to give them a more stable routine allows them to maintain a healthy equilibrium with their private life.
This drives job satisfaction and intensifies the energy, enthusiasm and creativity given to the business process by the individual.
As the professional and personal parts of the individual’s lives reach a greater degree of accord, the improved quality of life reaps benefits for the employee and the business.
Statistics show that employee productivity improves with the sense of valuation in the workplace.
Making your employees aware that they can apply for a more suitable schedule shows your awareness of their personal lives and how important they are to the quality of an employee’s work.
It will also promote active engagement in tasks because the employee will be under less mental and emotional pressure to meet the time constraints of both their professional and personal life.
When employees exercise their right to choose specific times when they work or to work from home at certain times, it allows them a degree of professional independence which will fuel active engagement in their assignments.
Your recognition of the importance of their emotional well-being in this way will reinvent the traditional separation of power between management and workers and make employees feel seen as well as heard.
Creating a company culture which actively listens to an employee’s requests and does its best to facilitate them in line with corporate objectives will greatly improve your company morale as well as your public image.
What once started as a fad has now become a demand. Organisations have identified flex scheduling as an ideal way to meet the ever-increasing need for 24/7 customer services in the digital era.
The ability to co-ordinate different employees to work at different times which suit them individually while also extending the coverage of the service creates a win-win situation for both employer and employee.
Flexible working can surprisingly generate financial savings through the improved staff retention – cutting out costly inductions.
Overheads are a further expense which can be reduced as resources become shared between individuals such as computers or office space.
In Review
For your HR department to practice what it preaches, it is worth leafing your way through your Employment Law manual to find some overlooked opportunities for a greater HR presence in the day-to-day lives of employees.
While the Right to Flexible Working is limited in Ireland, employers should not see this as a prohibition against flex scheduling in the workplace.
Studies have shown that the degree of independence offered to staff directly affects well-being, a causal relationship which calls Irish HR teams to look to the greater provisions for flexitime in UK Law and follow suit.
In short, flex scheduling is not only what many of your employees want, it’s probably what your HR department is missing too.
It has been proven to boost workplace well-being and inspire increased staff retention.
A survey of 1,000 Irish employees last year showed that 82 per cent of employees felt flexitime made them more positive about their work while 79 per cent said it made them more loyal to their employer.
These staggering statistics are undoubtedly due in large part to the ability of the employee to actualise their work style preference and the trust which is demonstrated in them by their employer.
Are you ready to begin a new conversation with your staff and drive your workplace well-being?
How Flex Scheduling Improves Workplace Wellbeing
- Professional and Personal in Harmony
While in UK Employment Law, the Employment Rights Act of 1996 entitles employees to ask for a change to their contractual terms after 26 weeks continuous working, only those returning from parental leave hold this legal entitlement under Irish Law.
Having said that, this is not to say that you can’t liaise with your staff and make flexitime a workplace standard!
While flexitime is traditionally seen to accommodate individuals with special commitments outside of work, offering it to employees can bolster their commitment to workplace productivity.
Though it may seem counterintuitive, revising your employees’ hours to give them a more stable routine allows them to maintain a healthy equilibrium with their private life.
This drives job satisfaction and intensifies the energy, enthusiasm and creativity given to the business process by the individual.
As the professional and personal parts of the individual’s lives reach a greater degree of accord, the improved quality of life reaps benefits for the employee and the business.
- Giving Your Employees Autonomy
Statistics show that employee productivity improves with the sense of valuation in the workplace.
Making your employees aware that they can apply for a more suitable schedule shows your awareness of their personal lives and how important they are to the quality of an employee’s work.
It will also promote active engagement in tasks because the employee will be under less mental and emotional pressure to meet the time constraints of both their professional and personal life.
When employees exercise their right to choose specific times when they work or to work from home at certain times, it allows them a degree of professional independence which will fuel active engagement in their assignments.
Your recognition of the importance of their emotional well-being in this way will reinvent the traditional separation of power between management and workers and make employees feel seen as well as heard.
Creating a company culture which actively listens to an employee’s requests and does its best to facilitate them in line with corporate objectives will greatly improve your company morale as well as your public image.
- Why Flexible Working is a Win-Win Situation
What once started as a fad has now become a demand. Organisations have identified flex scheduling as an ideal way to meet the ever-increasing need for 24/7 customer services in the digital era.
The ability to co-ordinate different employees to work at different times which suit them individually while also extending the coverage of the service creates a win-win situation for both employer and employee.
Flexible working can surprisingly generate financial savings through the improved staff retention – cutting out costly inductions.
Overheads are a further expense which can be reduced as resources become shared between individuals such as computers or office space.
In Review
For your HR department to practice what it preaches, it is worth leafing your way through your Employment Law manual to find some overlooked opportunities for a greater HR presence in the day-to-day lives of employees.
While the Right to Flexible Working is limited in Ireland, employers should not see this as a prohibition against flex scheduling in the workplace.
Studies have shown that the degree of independence offered to staff directly affects well-being, a causal relationship which calls Irish HR teams to look to the greater provisions for flexitime in UK Law and follow suit.
In short, flex scheduling is not only what many of your employees want, it’s probably what your HR department is missing too.
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