Flexible Workplaces Are Important for Todays Organizations - Literature review Example

Running Header: Flexible Workplaces are Important for Today’s Organizations Student’s Name: Instructor’s Name: Course Code & Name: Date of Submission: Flexible Workplaces are Important for Today’s Organizations Many organizations have embraced flexible workplaces since they have recognized that the initiatives can improve worker productivity, encourage ethical behaviors, improve retention and recruitment efforts, and encourage efforts of the organization to be socially responsible (Long 2008, p. 2). Flexible options of work offer worker the capability to choose where and when work is completed. Today’s organizations have recognized that there is an ever sociological structure which has led to changing in pattern of employment, increased cost of child care, stresses and expenses from commuting and the swelling number of small businesses. Changes in information technology have influenced office design and office work. This has resulted to changes in nature of employment from non-traditional practices of working to a higher variety and work patterns flexibility. Steiner (2005, p. 81) argues that flexible workplace practices are widely being adopted in small business through to big organizations and agencies of government. These practices include: job sharing or working part time, nursing mothers’ lactation breaks, home based work and working hours flexibility. In the past years the workplace has evolved in many ways. Mostly importantly there has been a shift from the model of work of male breadwinner and remarkable swell in the number of women joining the workforce. Increasingly, majority of men are becoming children carers and they also require workplace flexibility. Flexible workplaces are not only important to the employees, but also to the entire organization. According to Gittleman, Horrigan and Joyce (2000, p. 5), flexibility offered by the organizations can be weighed along many dimensions. The authors consider an organization to be showing flexibility in the workplace during the undertaking of producing services or goods if there is shifting away from the hierarchical and traditional structure in which workers have narrowly defined and rigid roles. The acceptance of certain practices in workplace may suggest a change in an effort to improve flexibility. The article has indicated that flexibility in also important to the organization so as to comply with legal requirement as indicated in the Act of Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination 1998 which states that an individual should not be discriminated against another individual on various basis including age, pregnancy, marital status, family responsibilities, gender and parental status. Additionally, the federal Workplace Relations Act and the Tasmanian Industrial Relations Act stipulate that dismissal on family responsibilities grounds will be illegal. Workplace flexibility will cater in the legal issues that may arise. A survey made public in 2000 and carried out by Australian Bureau of Statistics showed that there is a need for organizations to create flexible workplaces and that majority of employees have responsibilities that encroach on time of work (Women Tasmania 2006, p. 4). The employees in the survey with responsibilities of caring mentioned the following flexible arrangements as the most vital: access to job-share and part time arrangements, ability to use carers/sick leave, flexible finish and start time, leave with no pay provision, flexi time and necessity to work from home/teleworking. Riratanaphong (2006, P. 41) has the opinion that organizational changes are inevitable and an office employee is associating with the organization in a new means. Flexibility in workplaces has been utilized by organizations to cope with work pattern of organization, lifestyle of persons and technological development. Women Tasmania (2006, p.8) argues that Flexible workplaces are considered important in today’s business environments and various organizations have initiated part time job to allow flexibility to better utilize employees and more efficiently and effectively manage the deliverance of services to clients. Also part time allows employees increased flexibility in handling responsibilities of work and other interests. Flexible workplace that is brought about by part time jobs helps the organization to lower absenteeism since it gives more alternatives for workers to manage their personal obligations and duties. There is also improved productivity and customer service through meeting demands during peak without inviting extra costs. This type of flexibility elevates competitive edge in retaining and attracting staff in the organization. The business will be able to save in training and recruitment costs by minimized turnover. The employees will be more motivated since their requirements are met and might be possible for skilled employees to get back earlier to work from parental leave since they are in a position to work part time. Flexitime has been utilized by organization to create more flexible business environment since this arrangement permits flexibility in hours worked (Steiner 2005, p. 87). Set hours allows worker to work the time favorable for them, while still meeting the required number of hour per week. This has the advantage of lowering absenteeism, improved retaining and attracting employees and elevated work demand. Teleworking has also been integral part of creating more flexible business environment since it permits employees to continue their work during some impermanent, unpredicted situations which blocks their attendance in the workplace. Victorian Government (2010, p. 1) reported that IBM Australia Ltd is a good example of an organization that values workplace flexibility. The IBM Australia work/life strategy is established to offer flexible work alternatives that allow its employees to meet their obligations to family, education, work and other personal needs. The options available for flexible workplace to IBM staff include: paid parental/adoption leave of 12 weeks that is totally paid or 24 weeks that is half paid, with an alternative of extra 40 weeks of unpaid leave, arrangements of flexible work including, job share, part time, compressed work week, individualized work schedule, work from home and mobile/ telecommuting among others (Victorian Government 2010, p. 1). Overall IBM initiative of creating flexible workplace has been very successful. Data of workplace from 2005 to 2006 revealed that morale and motivation was up 1.3 points per year, while attrition was reduced to 2-3 points per annum. A latest work issues and life survey carried out by staff showed that 80% had found that flexibility in the workplace has a positive impact on productivity and 75% accepted their manager backed their endeavors to manage work and family/personal life (Victorian Government 2010, p. 2). This has also improved retaining and attracting staff in the organization. Although the reality that the idea of flexible working allows employees to work from home, there are negative aspects associated with this where employees may suffer from over working and stress at home (Riratanaphong 2006, p. 51). The effects of advancement of technology forces persons to work almost every hour and can suppress rather than liberate. In contrast, some individuals may exhibit the implications of fresh syndrome that always carries out the non-work tasks. Also telecommuting can result in loss of team spirit and isolation. A more flexible work patterns results intensification of work, lower control over tasks, conflict over new roles in work, sense of violation and unfairness and a lack of suitable skills. Organizations can encourage the development of flexible workplaces by creating an environment and culture where employees can balance all aspects of their lives (Victorian Government 2010, p 1). In an effort to establish a well developed teleworking programme, the organization is required to commit some initial investment in an effort to set up occupational safety and health home-based equipment. Also managers need to monitor results instead of day to day activities when administering a project. In an effort to manage flextime of employees, the organization should develop a system to manage the number of hours worked by workers. In managing part time workers, deliberation should be offered to the amount of hours worked and load of work regulated effectively. Keen planning should be in place in order part time employees are not supposed to carry out a full time equivalent workload. In conclusion, workplace flexibility is important in compliance with legal requirements such as Act of Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination 1998. Today’s organizations are using flexibility in workplaces in order to cope with work pattern of organization, lifestyle of persons and technological development. Flexible arrangements in workplaces includes access to job-share and part time arrangements, ability to use carers/sick leave, flexible finish and start time, leave with no pay provision, flexi time and necessity to work from home/teleworking. Flexible workplaces have resulted to reduced absenteeism, improved motivation, increased productivity, improved retaining and attracting of employees, and reduction in training and recruitment costs. IBM Australia is one of the organizations that have gained from workplace flexibility arrangements. In writer’s opinion, flexible practices of work in an organization allow employers and employees to better manage the life/work balance without emergency of conflicts. References Gittleman, M, Horrigan, M & Joyce, M 2000, ‘Flexible workplace practices: evidence from a nationally representative survey’, Industrial and Labor Relations Review, pp. 2-7. Long, K 2008, ‘Creating a flexible workplace’, Society of Human Resource Management, pp. 1- 14. Riratanaphong, C 2006, ‘Flexible workplace: benefits and concerns in facilities management’, Journal of Architectural/Planning Research and Studies, vol. 4, no, 2, pp. 41-52. Steiner, J 2005, ‘The art of space management: Planning flexible workspaces for people’, Facilities, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 78-95. Victorian Government 2010, Fair and Flexible Employer, pp. 1-2. Women Tasmania 2006, ‘Practical flexible work practices to achieve a work and life balance’, Flexible Workplaces, pp. 1-45. Read More