There is one thing which many businesses overlook when it comes to success.
Morale.
Far too many businesses focus on numbers and statistics. They assume that focusing on growth margins and new product development is all it takes to increase productivity and watch profits rise at the same time, but there’s something else which has a very profound effect on all of the above, and in most cases, doesn’t come with any cost attached - how happy your employees are in their work.
Focusing on your employees at their office desks has no downside at all. Happy employees are healthier, more engaged, they come up with new and creative ideas, and they’re far more productive as a result. This links straight into productivity and sends your profits skyrocketing over time. Your customers are happy because they’re dealing with happy and helpful employees, mistakes are far fewer, and everything is literally rosy.
There are many things which can work to increase morale. Check out this video for more information.
So, could flexible working be one of the elements which can increase morale in the workplace?
Offering flexible working arrangements for those who want them is a great way to ensure that employees have quality home and work-life balance.
If you look at this from the point of view of a full-time employee, you can understand why a little extra flexibility could help great a better work and personal life picture. Of course, it’s not all about full-timers, but for the purposes of this example, let’s consider their situation.
So, they’re working 9-5, Monday to Friday at their office chairs and they’re doing what they need to do at the weekends, such as spending time with family and friends, doing the shopping, running errands and trying to rest at the same time. The problem is, many places are closed at the weekends. If that employee wants to go for a doctor's appointment or a dentist appointment, they need to try and get a late in the day appointment, which isn’t always possible or try and rearrange things to allow them an hour off work.
This difficulty can become stressful over time.
In addition, what if they have children, perhaps an elderly parent they need to care for or simply want to spend more time with, and what if they have a hobby that they’re itching to spend more time on?
Yes, we need to make a living from our work, but we also need downtime and time to spend with those who matter. In this case, flexible working is the answer to the problem and ensures that you have more time to do whatever you need to do.
Does it affect morale? Of course!
The reason being, when you have more time, when you’re doing things which make you happy and you’re not stressed about what you can’t get around to doing, you’re generally happier and healthier. This makes you more productive, you make fewer mistakes, and you’re more likely to come up with new ideas around the boardroom chairs because you’re feeling full of energy and enjoying the role you’re in.
In addition, the fact that you’re allowing your employees this choice means that you’re also showing you them that you care. You care about their wellbeing and you’re giving them a choice to improve things. When we feel like someone cares about our wellbeing and values us as employees, we’re always going to work a little harder, go the extra mile, and basically do more for them.
So, can flexible working options help to boost morale? Yes, certainly, and they can also improve productivity as a result of this increased morale too.
Whilst employers shouldn’t simply go around accepting flexible working requests for the sake of it, they should consider them carefully and fairly. As part of employment law, employers need to consider every request which comes their way; if it doesn’t make sense from the point of view of the business, fair enough, you can reject it with reasons given, but if it could work, it’s certainly a better option to grant it.