Nathalie Lees
The Future of Flexibility at Work
September 28, 2021
Summary.
What does true flexibility look like? Most organizations approach it in one of two ways: as an ad hoc work-life accommodation available upon request, or as giving people permission to get their work done on their own schedule — as long as they’re available to answer emails or put out fires 24/7. Neither approach is sustainable over the long term. The authors, who have been studying workplace flexibility for years, advocate a more balanced approach that makes employer and employee needs equal. In this article they outline the downsides of work-life accommodation and boundaryless working and discuss the tenets that organizations should follow as they develop their own flexibility programs and policies.
As organizations tentatively plan how to get work done amid the uncertainty of the coronavirus, both leaders and employees are touting the benefits of flexibility. But what does flexibility at work look like in practice? And how can you know whether your team or organization is using it successfully?