Frontline Flexibility: A Scalable Choice for Deskless Workers

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The post-pandemic world has seen unprecedented flexibility for desk-based or corporate workers, many of whom can work remotely or have hybrid work arrangements. But flexible work isn’t just for people on laptops working in cafes — frontline workers (i.e., those who must be on-site in a specific work location) also want freedom and choice.

For companies with a large population of frontline workers, putting the right flexibility in place can be a challenge. But it’s a challenge they need to face head-on since these employees say that work-life balance and flexible scheduling are second only to compensation when it comes to choosing an employer. That’s according to a new study of nearly 13,000 frontline employees and leaders in 11 countries from my company, Workplace Intelligence, in partnership with HR, payroll, and workforce management solutions provider UKG .

The ability to have some degree of flexibility fosters work-life cohesion: employees can complete their work while still picking up kids from school, making healthcare appointments, or volunteering in their community. However, too often there is a double standard between frontline and corporate workers. We found that nearly half of frontline employees (49%) say there are two separate cultures at their company: one for the frontline and one for everyone else.

Organizations often overlook flexibility for frontline and hourly workers, according to an article in Harvard Business Review . The authors give the example of an organization where during a dangerous snowstorm, executives and managers were able to work from home, but policy required secretaries and assistants to make the treacherous drive into the office. After the issue was flagged, the company changed its policy, but it took a notable issue to bring it to the forefront.

In many cases, flexibility is not just an engagement and retention tool, but it also supports diversity and inclusion, especially for underrepresented groups like immigrants, people of color, and working mothers. Women and people of color happen to be overrepresented in frontline industries, according to a recent publication from McKinsey , so supporting flexibility for these functions will also improve work-life cohesion for traditionally marginalized groups.

As the demand for flexible work continues to rise, offering flexibility for frontline workers isn’t just a perk — it’s essential to attract and retain talent. Over a quarter (27%) of the frontline workers we surveyed say they’d resign due to a lack of flexibility.

That means for organizations with frontline employees, offering scalable, flexible work options could be key to maintaining a competitive edge. According to research from Gallup , nearly 60% of the U.S. workforce are frontline employees who must work on-site and these individuals appreciate time flexibility — control over when they work — more than location flexibility, or control over where they work.

The types of flexibility typically available to frontline workers include self-scheduling, shift trading, and part-time hours. While many organizations have implemented some of these already, our research showed that 14% of companies don’t offer these options for frontline employees — not even the ability to trade shifts.

Today I’ll look at four ways to make flexibility a reality for frontline teams, and I’ll share case studies from companies that are setting the example. Let’s dig in.

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