Post COVID World and the Role of Flexible Hours

Flexible work arrangements weren’t popular during pre-COVID times in India. Employers of many service based industries preferred having their employees report at office which often led to loss of talent & employee dissatisfaction. With COVID-19, flexibility became the name of the game. Today, 93% organizations in India have finally opened up to the idea of letting their workforce embrace remote working arrangements & 61% even intended to continue with them.

However, the road of acceptance for many wasn’t an easy one as several employers struggled to believe that flexible work hours wouldn’t hamper productivity. The same applies to employees who found it difficult to adjust to the idea of remote working.

With over a year of forced experiment with remote and flexible working, the stakeholders of most organizations have finally started looking at the brighter side of flexible working hours. Let us understand this model, types and its benefits in depth.

I. Different Flexible Work Arrangements
Different companies are opting for different flexible working arrangements to help their employees excel amidst the prevailing global crisis. Here are some of the most preferred routes:

a) Remote working: We have all become accustomed to working remotely during and even before the pandemic. The arrangement gives the freedom to work from anywhere around the world (even if it means you work from home!). Companies like Google have extended the remote working policy until at least July 2021 for their employees in the light of the pandemic.

According to a PwC ‘s survey in the US, 83% of employers in December 2020 believed that the shift to remote working has been successful for their company, compared to 73% in their June 2020 survey. This suggests that there has been a considerable shift in the positive attitude towards remote working in the world of work.

b) Customised work hours: It is no secret that each employee has a different set of responsibilities at home & hence different preferred work timings. For example some may want to work during the day time whereas some might have circumstances that allow them to work in shifts accommodating their child’s schedule. Under customised work hours arrangement, employees can choose the hours they would like to work after discussing a schedule that works best for employers and employees.

c) Condensed work weeks: A condensed work week lets employees complete their 40 hour work in 4 working days & have a 3 day weekend. This arrangement creates room for more personal time & in turn reduces stress and enhances employee satisfaction.

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II. How does flexible work hours help women?

Did you know that according to World Bank data, women made up just 20% of India’s workforce as of September 2020?

Women are subjected to many hurdles when they step out to work. Right from facing stigma against working women to the behavior of seniors and peers at the workplace, women face it all. Apart from this, balancing work and life post marriage is particularly difficult for women compared to men. They often have to compromise their career for responsibilities like tending to their children and elderly and home. This has historically led to lesser participation of women in Indian workforce.

Today, with companies allowing flexible work hours, women and men can take up jobs from the comfort of their homes which earlier weren’t possible. This also opens opportunities for new moms who found it difficult to re-enter the workforce after their maternity break.

Flexible working hours help in various ways:

• They get time to upskill themselves
• Find time to follow their passion and hobbies
• Learn new things and not just lead a work and home life but a balanced life
• Find time to volunteer or be a part of project that give a chance to give back to the society

III. Why should companies embrace flexible work hours?

If you are an organization who is still unsure about the flexible work model then here are some of the pros that will help you know why you should go for it:

1. Enhances productivity of employees: Not all employees are productive during the daytime. Some may find themselves working really well at night, or able to focus in the peace and quiet as opposed to some workplace distractions! Flexible work hours gives the scope to employees to work at their own pace and time when they feel they are the most efficient. This helps enhance employee productivity.
2. Improves Retention: If your employees are given the freedom to work according to their schedules then you can count on a higher employee satisfaction level. This will lead to improvement in employee retention.
3. Attracts diverse and top talent pool: Flexible work model gives the scope to hire talent from different geographical locations and also the talented professionals who might have not been able to work in a traditional set up. In all, it is a great way to hire the best human resource that is aligned with the company’s goals.
4. Reduces overhead costs for management: This model also helps to salvage the revenue which the management often loses while managing day to day activities in an office set up. For example, if your company is opting for remote working then you will save on office rent, installation charges of required devices like computers and printers and even stationery cost. On the other hand, if you are an organisation that has adopted a flexible work model and works out of a coworking space then you can save on rent by only paying for the days you use the space with available flexible membership plans.
5. Hiring process is less time consuming: The pandemic has paved the path for virtual hiring across the globe. In a flexible hour set up, this process reduces the time which is otherwise required when hiring in-office.

It can be concluded that the ‘flexible work model’ will define the future of work in many ways going forward. As time passes, working models like remote working, condensed work weeks and customised work hours will take precedence during the process of setting an organisation’s work culture and even impact the hiring policies. And if the trends are to be believed, it will be in the best interest of companies to embrace flexible work hours of course within the boundaries of their workplace strategies.

Have some thoughts about the role of flexible hours in work life? Let us know in the comments below.