Flexible work likely to be a hot issue

The Covid-19 pandemic has given new meaning to flexible working arrangements. According to researchers from the University of South Australia, arrangements will be an issue when employees are required to return to the workplace. “Covid-19 forced people to work from home under the worst possible conditions – it was done in a rush, it was done across the board and in some cases it was done without the right supports such as IT or ergonomics,” says Ruchi Sinha, a senior lecturer.

“Now, as workplaces return to some semblance of normal, people are asking, ‘What will happen to workplace flexibility?’ And with such large-scale evidence that flexibility doesn’t diminish productivity, businesses cannot afford to turn a blind eye and just return to normal.”

She says managers need to recognise that they are often the biggest barriers to negotiating flexible work, due to a lack of preparedness to motivate or manage staff remotely.

“They’re also concerned about productivity from home, so all in all it’s easier for them to say no to flexibility than it is to say yes.

“On the other hand, while the pandemic has afforded us the opportunity to prove we can work flexibly, employees must recognise that not all work tasks are conducive to remote execution.”

Sinha proposes “job crafting”, where employees and managers negotiate a better fit between the job role and the individual’s needs, skills and passions, which would ultimately lead to higher efficiency, engagement and loyalty.

“Organisations that proactively use this recovery time to re-evaluate their assumptions of flexible work are likely to be leaps and bounds ahead of their competitors,” says Sinha. “By crafting roles and performance criterion effectively, these organisations are more likely to retain their talent, attract new talent and thrive.”