Flexi Hours: Is Flexible Working The Way Forward?

Flexible working is on the rise in the UK. And that’s not just because the pandemic has forced employers to rethink how their employees work for them. It’s now a top priority of upcoming generations in their search for jobs. And even workers who’ve been in the system for a while are starting to see the benefits.

Flexible working is so attractive to employees that most would prefer a flexi working pattern over a pay rise. And with Covid still a real problem, it’s starting to look more and more attractive to employers too. 

What Is Flexible Working?

Flexible working has evolved since the idea first hit the working scene. It’s become an umbrella term covering a way of working that breaks away from the traditional norm. That norm being a 9 to 5, five-day working week. 

The term flexible working now covers a lot of bases. It includes all types of part-time work, flexitime, job shares, compressed hours, and remote working outside of the standard office environment. Not forgetting freelance, contractor, or portfolio workers. Working this way allows for a more free-flowing and agile working environment.

In addition, it will enable companies to welcome team members from around the world. And so, build a team of the best of the best. 

Why Is Flexi Work Beneficial?

The benefits of flexi work are almost endless. And it’s not just beneficial for the individual.

For The Employee

The idea that a one-size-fits-all solution is outdated like the traditional working week. Our lives don’t standstill. And changing circumstances mean our working situation needs to evolve along with it. There’s also anecdotal evidence that workers with flexible working solutions that fit their needs actually work harder. They feel more empowered and can put more quality time into their work. 

The term work-life balance gets bandied around a lot these days. But with the traditional working structure, it’s almost impossible to achieve. However, it is possible with more flexible working patterns. And that means employees have a greater sense of happiness. A happier population in itself leads to less strain on the NHS, greater productivity, and more time spending money to boost the economy. 

For The Employer

The benefits aren’t just for the individual worker, though. They’re almost endless for the employer and big business too. New employees wanting more flexibility gives businesses a competitive edge over others.

So even small organisations can compete with the big guns if they give workers more freedom. It also means that companies can cover all hours of the day. An attractive benefit now is that the world works for 24 hours and the demand for customer services doesn’t stop at 5 pm. 

Flexible working attracts a broader pool of talent to any role. Especially if remote working is an opinion. That means employers get access to the best talent in any given sector, and flexible work means that talent will be far more productive. And companies will find themselves with better staff retention because they give employees what they want. 

For Anyone Not Considered The Norm

It’s not difficult to see that the workplace can be inherently sexist, ableist, and geared toward helping the big companies get bigger. But flexible working solutions create a safe place for everyone within the business world. 

It helps the parents who need to cover childcare. And offering it across the board, no matter your sex, means that more women can get back to careers post-birth. And more fathers can be a mainstay of the upbringing of their children. It enables people with chronic illnesses or disabilities to get back into the workplace without feeling judged.

And without pushing themselves to fit into a society that didn’t make room for them. It provides autonomy over their career without aggravating any existing conditions. 

It even helps small business owners. It means they can attract big talent, even though they’re small. It adds another bow to their quiver. Just like with Secursus shipping insurance, they’re covered for damage, and with CRM systems, they can make the most out of their customer data. Flexi working allows SMB’s to compete with large businesses and diversify the market. And that only helps the economy. 

Wrapping Up

It’s clear to see that flexible working has a vast array of benefits. It creates a happier worker pool, a more accessible environment, better health, and a population with the time and money to boost the economy. 

And Coronavirus has shown us that it’s possible. We’ve endured all those years of big business saying that flexible working solutions weren’t viable. Yet, after almost 2 years of on and off enforced working from home, we can see that it works. And it works well. So well that some companies are changing the working solutions they offer to their employees.