What employers need to remember about flexible work

While the recent headlines around flexible work may suggest that the dial has shifted back to a more traditional set up, there is still a strong argument for flexible work.

Office based work is promoted as beneficial for culture, building relationships and skill building, particularly for graduates and those early in their careers. As recently noted by Mark Zuckerberg, working together in one space as a team is also considered necessary for innovation. On the other hand, working from home is shown to provide employees with a sense of agency and control over their time, which is an important factor for wellbeing. Others argue that in the absence of office distractions, they are able to be much more productive at home.

One element that I often see ignored in this debate, is how flexible working affords parents of young children to continue to meaningfully participate in the workforce. As a new mother myself and one who always anticipated returning to the workforce within 12 months post birth, flexibility was critical in my ability to achieve this. If employers were to remove the option for working flexibly, we may see men returning to the office as before, with their female partners forced to take lower paid, part time roles and sacrificing career ambitions in the process. While being a full time carer can be every bit as fulfilling as a career in the workforce, sacrificing earning potential can place people in vulnerable and financially dependent positions.?

By allowing all employees to stay flexible in their work, organisations can make a real impact in work disparity, allowing both parents to contribute to caring more equally. Flexible work allows all types of people (particularly mothers) to continue to advance their careers, narrow the gender pay gap and for their employers, enhance worker retention and foster inclusive workplaces. This is a win, win for employees and employers alike.?

Working arrangements don't need to look like one extreme or the other. A hybrid model that both trusts the employee to manage their time and workload but prioritises regular team interactions fosters an inclusive team culture, promotes productivity and allows vulnerable employees to manage the other important parts of their lives.

It should be noted that the argument around flexible working comes with a caveat. Not all industries can function using this model but for office based knowledge workers, a hybrid model of flexible work allows all types of people to participate in the workforce in a more equal capacity.