Another week, another ‘Wave’ ???

5 news items from the world of work and workplace that you can digest in 5 minutes.

This week:

1. How 'everyday' flexibility can unlock engagement & productivity
2. Employees prefer to RTO with flexible hours than WFH with structured hours
3. ‘Flexible, but stable’ jobs top 2023 workers wishlists

Flexible Routines: “Everyday flexibility can unlock engagement, productivity and growth”, said 联合利华 at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting this month. Pre-COVID, flexible working was largely associated with part-time working for parents, but the pandemic forced people to seek more flexibility in how and when they work. Data suggests most people look for the ability to manage and adjust start and finish times, the freedom to manage work commitments in and around life commitments and for work to be measured in outputs delivered, rather than hours worked. “Flexible working is now important to all generations. To build a relevant, inclusive and productive future of work, it is vital we find ways to meet a variety of flexible working models and do so responsibly.” Read Full Article.

Tailoring Ways of Working: New research from MHR reveals a greater proportion of employees would prefer to work in the office with flexible hours (51%) than WFH with structured hours (41%). MHR CEO, Anton Roe , said: “A large proportion of respondents told us working from home made them feel lonely. This has huge ramifications for employee experience and ultimately, the company’s bottom line. Instead, flexible working puts employees in control over their own hours and work environment, allowing them to tailor their ways of working to their own needs and resulting in increased engagement in the long run.” Time to book a coworking space? Read Full Article.

We Can See: 花旗 employees working remotely had better be getting their heads down, because CEO Jane Fraser is assessing productivity data. “You can see how productive someone is or isn't, and if they’re not being productive, we bring them back to the office, and we give them the coaching they need until they bring the productivity back up again," she reportedly said at the World Economic Forum . Fraser however remains a strong advocate for a WFH approach and generally took the opposite stance to her Wall Street peers on hybrid work, focusing on flexibility first. “There’s an important balance here. We’re going to have to keep listening to our people and getting that balance right but if you don’t listen to them, you’re in danger of having some problems." Read Full Article.

Stable Flexibility: ‘Flexible, but stable’ jobs top 2023 workers wishlists reports HR Dive . 45% of job seekers wouldn’t accept a job that didn’t offer accommodating hours, according to 任仕达 ’s 2023 Workmonitor report. Additionally, 48% said they’d quit a job if it “prevented them from enjoying their life.” These findings and more are unpacked in the research firm’s report, which paints a picture of worker priorities in markets across the North and South Americas, Europe, Asia and Australia: Employees want stability in their career overall, but flexibility in their day-to-day lives. Read Full Article.

A Month of Travel: Toronto-based company, Media Profile , is giving staff $3K to work ‘anywhere in the world’ for a month. For the second year in a row, the public relations agency is offering its popular “Work Away Benefit” for employees who have been with the company for at least six months. Staff can choose where they want to be (they just have to work in the eastern time zone, no matter where they are) and will receive up to $3,000 to help cover travel expenses and accommodations. President, Alison King , said: “There’s no limit to the creativity too — we’ve had employees conquer it completely solo to colleagues booking group trips and banding together. I think this really speaks to how supportive the culture is here at our agency." Read Full Article.