Times are changing and organisations need to change to reflect this. Baby Boomers tended to have the 'live-to-work' attitude; they wanted a steady, stable job that they could remain in for the majority of their working life. With an influx of the younger generations now entering the workforce, it is important to note that they have a 'work-to-live' mentality. Work-life balance is extremely important to them. The need for flexibility has arisen more and more in the last few years and will continue to grow.
The benefits of flexible work options can be very beneficial to an organisation. Melbourne (2008) writes "The right approach to flexible work arrangements can give a company the edge it needs in attracting and retaining a skilled workforce. It can increase staff loyalty and morale, reduce turnover and absenteeism, improve productivity and ultimately earn an organisation a reputation as an employer of choice."
To assist with this strategy, organisations can:
Encourage staff to work from home when possible.
Implement job share roles within the organisation.
Allow employees to choose their own hours where possible. Morning people might like to start at 7am and finish at 4pm whereas evening people may prefer to work 10am to 7pm.
Allow options when rewarding performance, for example, allowing employees the choice between a pay increase or additional annual leave.
Allow employees to work longer days to compress a week of work. For example four days of ten hour shifts with three days off.
Give employees a day off for their birthday.
Just showing employees that they have flexible options available may be enough for them to feel that their individual needs are being satisfied.
