Flexibility is key to getting more from employees

Companies are finding out that allowing employees to work flexible schedules can add to productivity, morale and retention rates without severely affecting business in any negative way, according to a survey of companies in 39 countries.
“Flexible schedules make good business sense,” said Eileen M. Rafferty, director of account services for RIEAS (Rhode Island Employee Assistance Services) in Warwick.
Her agency is all about keeping employees happy. RIEAS deals with approximately 180 employers across the country, Rafferty said, and is contracted by businesses to counsel workers with personal problems ranging from legal and financial woes to substance abuse.
At Grant Thornton International Ltd., which opened a Providence office this month, flexible schedules are readily acceptable in most job categories at its New England locations, said David A. Platt, assistant managing partner for New England. As of Dec. 1, Grant Thornton took over Platt’s regional accounting firm, CCR LL and its four offices in Providence, Hartford, Boston and Westborough, Mass. Platt, a Portsmouth resident who grew up on Aquidneck Island, was a partner in CCR LL.
Platt told Providence Business News he personally is “passionate” about the benefits of flexible scheduling. “When employees are happy, they are more productive,” he said.
The practice meshes well with Grant Thornton’s philosophy of fostering “the highest and best use” of its employees, he noted. About 20 percent of Thornton’s workers in New England are on permanent flexible schedules, with another 20 percent working flex schedules at certain times of the year, according to Platt.
He expects those numbers to increase in the years ahead, particularly after the company adds 15 workers to the Exchange Terrace office in the coming weeks. Platt said some workers will be hired and others relocated to Providence; within two years, plans call for the local office to grow to 50 employees, he added, noting Grant Thornton is one of the largest accounting firms in the world. The company recently checked with businesses around the world to ascertain how prevalent flexible schedules are in the workplace, surveying 7,700 firms in 39 countries. Despite its advanced technology and ease of mobility, the United States lags other nations in the use of flexible work arrangements, according to the June 2011 survey.
Finland led the pack with 92 percent of its companies allowing flexible work arrangements, followed by: Sweden (86 percent), Australia (85 percent), Thailand (85 percent), New Zealand (84 percent), Netherlands (82 percent), Switzerland (80 percent), United Kingdom (79 percent), United States (79 percent) and Ireland (77 percent).
Countries with the lowest percentage of companies allowing flexible schedules were: Japan (18 percent), Greece (26 percent), Armenia (35 percent), Malaysia (39 percent), Turkey (44 percent), Poland (47 percent), Taiwan (49 percent), United Arab Emirates (49 percent), Russia (50 percent) and Singapore (50 percent).
The benefits of flexible scheduling explain why it is so prevalent in highly developed nations. Rafferty listed these benefits:
&#8226 Improved efficiency can result, particularly when a work schedule can be arranged to match the time of day when an employee by nature is most productive. For instance, a worker who is not a “morning person” can be assigned to a 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. shift for best results, she said.
&#8226 Employees have more control over their own time, allowing them to better balance work and life responsibilities. Often, Rafferty said, an employee with flexible hours will work longer than others and give more back to the employer because “if you feel good about the flexibility, you’re probably willing to do that.” &#8226 Commuting can be done outside of peak hours, when roads are less busy, saving time as well as wear and tear on motor vehicles.
&#8226 Absenteeism can be reduced, because workers have more control over their lives and so feel better about their jobs.
&#8226 Better employees can be drawn to a workplace when they know they will have freedom to come and go as they need.
Rafferty, however, several times stressed that flexible work schedules are not – and indeed, can not – be for everyone because some jobs must be done in the workplace at set times every day. A teacher, a receptionist, an office manager are among the examples she cited. Platt, although passionate about flexible work arrangements for others, admitted he does not enjoy this benefit himself due to the nature of his job duties at Grant Thornton.
The dilemma of having employees working side by side – but one is on a flexible schedule and one is not — can lead to “conflict,” Rafferty noted, which is one of several potentially negative aspects of flexible scheduling she discussed. Other negative factors include:
&#8226 Department coverage can become a problem for managers required to make certain that staff is always available in-house.
&#8226 Meetings must be scheduled when all workers are available.
“It is an honor system,” Rafferty acknowledged. “You have to have trust with these employees.” Performance can be monitored on a regular basis because “you want to make sure the job is being done,” she said.
“We are professionals,” Platt said. “Everybody in this firm is a professional and professionals know what they need to do to get their work done and service their clients.” &#8226

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