The 40-hour working week is undoubtedly the most common work structure, but it’s certainly not the most preferred. Many employees would happily trade the average 9-to-5 working day for hours that better suit their unique lifestyles or flexible work hours.
While implementing new working structures can be daunting, your team is sure to appreciate some of the following flexible arrangements:
Remote Work
It has never been easier than it is today to offer your team remote work opportunities. You utilize team apps and cloud computing to ensure your business continues running like a well-oiled machine. You can also explore virtual office space for rent to help your business maintain its professional image.
Virtual offices provide your business with a professional address, mail forwarding services, an on-site receptionist, and other desirable perks – all while your team works from the comfort of their homes. Customers can still expect the same professional service, but your employees will enjoy better work-life balance, flexibility, and increased work satisfaction.
Flex Time
The flex time work structure describes an employer providing their employees with the flexibility to set their own work hours. While you may require your team to be available during a specific part of the day, they can generally choose when they start and finish.
This flexible work arrangement can be preferable for a number of reasons. Working parents can be available to drop off and pick up their children from school, and employees can choose to work the hours they know they’ll be the most productive.
Job Sharing
Job sharing solves many problems for employers and their teams. Qualified employees might not be looking for a full-time job, but you might need someone to cover full-time hours. To cater to yourself and your employees, you can hire two people to share a full-time job, effectively splitting the costs between two people rather than one.
In such a work arrangement, both employees can work together to ensure all hours are covered in an even or uneven split, depending on their unique needs.
Hybrid Work Arrangements
Hybrid models have built-in flexibility, allowing employees to split their time between remote work and an office environment. The specifics of a hybrid working model generally differ from one workplace to the next.
For example, some employees spend half their working day in the office before finishing at home. Others work in the office for half the week before working the remainder at home. If you’re considering exploring this popular work arrangement, talk to your team about their preferences to see if you can develop a model that works for everyone.
Work Sharing
Many businesses go through tough times. There isn’t always enough work for all employees, and layoffs can be on the horizon. However, rather than laying off workers who rely on you to care for their families, you can present them with an alternative option: work sharing.
Work sharing involves employees reducing the number of hours they work to maintain the same number of employees. While a reduced income might not suit all employees, it can be a desirable option when the alternative is losing their jobs altogether. Employees can then gradually return to regular hours when the company’s financial position improves.
As challenging as it often is to step away from the 40-hour working week, you might be surprised by how beneficial a new work arrangement can be. While your team enjoys a better work-life balance and increased job satisfaction, you can reap the rewards of higher productivity levels and improved staff retention rates.
