Is flexi-working the future?

We are, undeniably, a nation consumed by tradition, whether it’s a roast on Sunday, putting the kettle on in a crisis or dunking biscuits in tea, we love routine. Traditions also encourage us to stick to a 9 to 5 work paradigm, one we have struggled to shake off for many years. However, the wheels of business are turning (albeit slowly) and attitudes towards work are focusing more on enhancing employee productivity. The benefits of flexi-working are becoming more a part of the conversation every day and with the average person spending a third of their lifetime working, removing some of the monotony involved is bound to pay off. Advances in technology are also making it a whole lot easier to stay connected and work remotely, posing the question, is it time that overly cautious employers look beyond the outdated 9 to 5 routine?

Following a session on this subject at Festival of Marketing, I spoke to industry expert and founder of WINGS Creative Leadership Lab, Gabriela Lungu. Gabriela said,

“ The key point was that flexibility is not about the future of work because 9 out of 10 people want flexible working now”

Despite this being the preference of many employees, still only 1 out of 10 advertised jobs include any mention of flexible working options. Gabriela works flexi-hours herself and says,

“ I personally don’t believe in a rigid dichotomy between work and life, I don’t feel that the two are separated. Work is an important part of my life and I love it immensely, it’s a vocation and it gives me so much satisfaction. I don’t feel it like a burden, it’s not something that I cannot wait to finish so I can finally do other things…”

This refreshing outlook comes from finding a balance in life, something many people struggle to achieve because work consumes too much of our time. Gabriela says that she consciously seeks this balance, a steadiness between responsibility and enjoyment, duty and fun, accumulating and sharing and time for herself then time for others. She says,

“ I manage this balance better and better, because I learned in time to say NO more often, and to know my physical limits”

Of course, in some jobs flexibility is harder to manage but for most roles that require you to sit at a desk for a minimum of eight hours a day, there is scope for change. We have heard whispers of flexible working becoming a reality in 2019 in the marketing and communications sector, but Gabriela makes the important point that we need to remove the perception that flexibility is just for mums and stop discussing flexible working only in connection with parents. She says,

“ I’ve chosen not to have children. And, as I said before, I love my job. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want or need flexible working. Creative people have so many interests and nurturing them makes them even better creative people. Inspiration and ideas don’t come when you’re at your desk”

We are surrounded by countries with improved work regimes, of which the benefits are clear. Sweden reduced their work days to six hours to boost productivity and engagement and Denmark has three weeks of leave during school vacation. There is a movement underway in the UK which is geared toward improving happiness and productivity in employees, but with a fondness for tradition and a resistance to change, I think we will take a little longer to acclimatise.