Flexible working has multiple benefits
The ‘work life balance’ is the holy grail that often feels like an unrealistic goal for the majority of working women (and men for that matter), for parents and nonparents alike. Is it a myth, or does the world we now live in allow both employees and organisations to benefit from this ideal? The concept of “work life balance” projects an ideal that it is possible for us to divide our lives into specific sections and also that we have control of and can choose how much time we spend in each of those defined sections. For most of us, this is simply not possible life, with its ups and downs, rarely fits into a carefully sectioned timetable with family and clients each in their allotted window.
As a working mother, I cannot simply switch off from either my work or family responsibilities. I do not stop being the mother of Brodie and Isla, when I walk through the doors of Baker McKenzie Habib Al Mulla, nor do I stop being the head of an employment practice of an international law firm when I leave the office. With a 9pm conference call waiting for me, and a legal opinion required by 10 am the next morning… As many know first-hand, children may be small in stature but big in attitude and will not happily and easily conform with their designated time slot.
Flexible working arrangements can bring us closer to attaining that holy grail, if an employer and employee happily agree where, when and how the employee will work. There is no “one size fits all” flexible working model and the arrangement should be tailored to fit the particular circumstances of the company, employee, clients and service delivery. Through my firm’s flexible working programme, many employees (myself included) are taking advantage of working remotely, reduced hours, time out and alternative working patterns (where the demands of the role allows).
There is substantial empirical evidence to demonstrate that flexible working has a multitude of benefits for an organisation. Assisting employees in leading a fulfilling life both within and outside of work has shown that they are more productive, work longer hours, take less sick days and are less likely to leave. Research also indicates that most millennials expect flexibility in the workplace. Accordingly, having a flexible working program can also attract talent as well as retain it.
The practice of flexible working is increasing in the UAE — particularly in light of the creation of the Gender Balance Council and the UAE’s aim to become one of the world’s top countries for gender equality by 2021. There is little regulation governing flexible working arrangements in the UAE, and companies and employees are thus free to structure their own flexible working agreements.
It is one thing to have a flexible working programme in place but another to make it work effectively, and trust is ultimately the key to success. Companies must trust that their employees will get the job done and nurture a culture where employees do not feel guilty about adopting flexible arrangements, and similarly, employees must demonstrate their trustworthiness and deliver results agreed upon. Some monitoring is recommended to ensure that any flexible working arrangement works optimally for everyone.
Technology also plays a key role in successful flexible working arrangements. It can work against us — we are now contactable at all times, and struggle to keep up with the breakneck speed at which the business world operates, with many of us working well outside the traditional 9am - 5pm model. However, technology can also work in our favor as it gives us the means to work from anywhere at any time.
Finally, acceptance is key. Accepting the fact you cannot control and perfectly balance all life’s challenges is crucial to remaining happy (and sane!), as is accepting that work must co-exist with, rather than stand separate from, your personal life.
Provided that clients are responded to quickly, work product is of a high standard and deadlines are met, flexible working is a feasible option for many roles. In fact, many of my firm’s clients have longstanding working arrangements where hot desking, home working, managing teams across borders and flexible working patterns are the norm. Given that all employees have responsibilities outside of the workplace, I would love to see flexible working arrangements widely accepted as “normal” for everyone.
I value my job and want my children to appreciate that. As the mother of a daughter, as she grows older, I want her to be less interested in wearing glass slippers and more concerned with breaking glass ceilings (as New York Jets marketer Melissa Marchionna put it). My flexible working arrangements give me the opportunity to instill these values in my children, while giving them the love and support they need. For many of us, the perfect work life balance is not feasible, but flexible working can bring us closer to that holy grail. All we can do is choose arrangements that allow us to be our best both personally and professionally.
Joanna Matthews-Taylor