After evaluating the work environment of their companies, many business owners embrace flexibility as a means to keep their employees motivated, engaged, satisfied, and productive. Some employers balk at flexible work arrangements because they cannot always directly oversee their personnel, while others retain the antiquated notion that worker efficiency is linked to the amount of time they spend at their desks. However, it is important to consider productivity in terms of how much is accomplished, not merely in terms of the number of hours spent on site. Here are some strategies on how your business can effectively operate as a flexible work environment.

Offer Flexible Scheduling

Instead of demanding that your employees adhere to a rigid nine to five schedule, give them some leeway in choosing their own hours within parameters that you set. For example, you may be able to allow them to come to work for eight hours within a 12-hour daily window. Alternatively, you could allow them to choose to work 10 hours a day for four days a week instead of eight hours a day for five days. The details, of course, would depend upon the needs of your specific company.

Allow Flexibility in Work Locations

One of the great advantages of allowing flexibility in locations is that you are able to retain valuable employees who for personal reasons have to remain home on a part time or fulltime basis. Another is that you can hire qualified experts regardless of where they live. Various options are available when you offer flexible locations. For instance, when employees telecommute, they spend most of their working hours at the office but sometimes work from home. Remote workers work from home all the time and might only come into the office for meetings and other special purposes.

Practice Job Sharing

In job sharing, two part time employees share responsibility for one fulltime job. This gives employers the advantage of saving on benefits that would be due to fulltime employees. It also prevents workers from getting burned out while performing strenuous tasks.

For more advice on flexibility in a work environment, contact Increase Lending.