Flexible working hours or work from home, which is a better deal?

Many Indian companies have not been able to embrace flexible timings at their workplace. They have a lot of reasons for the same but with lives at risk in cities like Mumbai, there has to be an alternative option.

Companies have started looking at work from home option rather then addressing flexible hours option. However, work from home cannot be a really game changer to stop people from getting inside crowded trains, or catching a train in motion etc. This could be a start of a process, stated an HR professional.

An HR consultant, Girijaa Deshhpande believes Indian companies have to embrace ways that western countries are following. This is important to add value to employees. Talking about work from home model, she said, “This is also not very well appreciated among many companies. This is due to the lack of confidence of the employer/manager.” She added they are unable to evaluate the time an employee might need to do a particular job as it varies from person to person.

While there are some companies, who are ready to grant ‘work from home’ levy but it is quite rare that flexible timing options are considered. “For instance, most familyrun businesses want you at the workplace on time.” In such cases, maybe a younger generation want to implement newer policies but cannot due to their interdependence, cost to the company and morale (there is a chance in one time slot there is more work compared to another. So there can be clash between employees).

Adding to it, Great place to work, CEO, Prasenjit Bhattacharya said, “We have no data that supports such claims about old generation of family-run businesses wanting their employees to be present at their workplace on time. But that is a feeling that many have but we wouldnot make that comment as you don't have data that supports that.”

Some companies have started to look at work from home option where ever they can as it brings down cost to the company and doesn't hamper morale of their employees.

All this points out to the fact that the company will have to find policies that are employee friendly at the same time cost effective and boost morale.