The International Workplace Group (IWG) conducted a survey in 2019 entitled, “Global Workplace Survey,” and found that the future is indeed in flexible work hours. The survey highlighted that the concept of being bound to a permanent desk during a specific time is gradually becoming archaic. In fact, when the Movement Control Order (MCO) was first mobilised in March of last year, companies across the board had to immediately implement a work from home policy paired with flexible work hours to keep their business afloat.
However, the MCO similarly spotlighted the challenges that are brought by flexible work hours, such as decreased productivity and poor time management. These concerns have left many employers to wonder if flexible work hours is feasible for their business. On that note, Team Cerebellar decided to engage with several employers, and employees on their experience working at flexible schedules to understand how businesses may enjoy the benefits whilst addressing their concerns:
Concern: Jeopardising Internal Communications
Miscommunication is deadly for any business as it can impact productivity, and damage employee morale. Ergo, it’s only natural for employers, managers, and supervisors to question how flexitime will not result in miscommunications between staff, and management or amongst employees. For Rosalind Razlan, she reckoned that it’s important to mobilise a communication protocol within the company.
As a senior manager at an international logistics company, Rosalind stated that her employer was able to successfully implement flexitime for all of its employees throughout the MCO by establishing an effective communication protocol which consisted:
- A channel for employees to raise their concerns;
- A clear line of communication between top, and bottom level employees;
- Implementing specific core hours when employees need to be present
Rosalind shared that the communication protocol came about after she, and her fellow managers lamented that time conflicts occurred when they attempted to arrange meetings or discussions with their teams, paired with employees complaining that their woes are not being heard by their superiors.
“Having core hours helps us to fix a time for a meeting easier, while a designated channel, and proper line of communication helps to foster trust amongst employees,” Rosalind communicated, and stated that employee satisfaction is above 75% last year.
Concern: Flexible Time Equates to More Room to Procrastinate
One of the major concerns that most employers highlighted by adopting a flexitime policy is that it gives employees the opportunity to slack off. This is especially concerning when an employee, regardless of the position, has poor time management, lack discipline or simply lacks the knowledge or experience to use flexitime to their advantage.
Taking all these factors to mind, a Human Resource executive from a telecommunications company based in Kuala Lumpur emphasised that it’s monumentally important for the HR department alongside the head of departments or top-level personnel to collectively write a clear policy on flexitime. “First, you need to set the flexible hours. Do you give your employees options to clock in at what time? Or do you stipulate that they need to clock in 40 hours a week, and give them the freedom to manage their time accordingly,” the executive explained.
To achieve this, however, the seasoned professional underlined that it’s important to assess the employees’ job scope, as flexible work hours is not a one size fits all policy. Once you’ve defined what flexitime is, then it’s just as important to highlight the penalties that follow should employees fail to adhere to the outlined regulations.
Concern: Productivity Will Drop Due to Low Efficiency
Communication is essential to ensure a harmonious, and effective teamwork in ensuring a productive output, which is understandable why some employers asked how “flexitime” will maintain productivity amongst its employees. According to Nora, who works as a senior business analyst for an oil and gas company in Malaysia, the trick is to “demand for daily, and weekly progress reports.
“Aside from scheduling check-in meetings, and discussions ahead of time, it’s just as important to have your colleagues or subordinates to share progress reports to keep every team member in the loop. It can be an email, a shared document, a group chat update or a productivity software; so long as everyone is informed,” the 36-year-old mentioned.
While she strongly encouraged companies to adopt flexitime, she recommended that, “it helps when every team member is aware of everyone’s schedule or work hours as it will make it that much easier to schedule for meetings, and discussions. But, more than that, it’s important for us to measure our subordinates, colleagues or employees output rather than the hours because with the right environment, tools, skills and information, a job that was meant to be completed in 8 hours can be done in 6,” she opined.
The Bottom Line: Flexitime Is Built On Trust
It goes without saying that to successfully implement flexible work hours for any business, is to first ensure the trust between the employer, and its employee is strong. Employers need to be able to trust their employees to complete their duties, and responsibilities, while employees need to trust their employers that their welfare, and job security will not be compromised should they opt to work at flexible hours. After all, when both parties genuinely trust one another, it will make the journey to achieving the business goals a smooth sailing experience.
So, after reading this post, what are your thoughts on flexible work hours? Do share with us two cents! We’d love to hear from you.
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