The ROI of Flexibility (Part 1)

iStock_000053799938_SmallOffering flexibility at work is smart business!

In an earlier post, we reviewed some of the important ways investing in work flex pays off for employers:

  • Decreased attrition. Forty-six percent of companies that allow telework say that it has reduced attrition.

  • Improved attendance. Unscheduled absences cost the average employer $1,800 per employee per year. Providing greater flexibility allows employees to fulfill non-work commitments without missing a full day.

  • Greater employee satisfaction. Employees consider workplace flexibility a high priority, one that greatly impacts their satisfaction with work. In fact, a poll of technology professionals indicated that over one-third would take a pay cut of 10 percent if they could work from home!

In addition to these cost savings, flex work provides a big return on investment by improving employees’ health and wellness in the following key areas.

Stress. Employees with greater schedule flexibility, or the ability to telecommute, can minimize conflicts between home and work – which ultimately decreases stress levels:

  • Research by sociologists from the University of Minnesota shows that employees with greater control over when and where they work experience less tension in their work and family lives.

  • In this survey of 400 businesses, nearly seven in 10 (69 percent) of employees said that flexible working is critical in easing work-related stress.

  • Long commutes in rush-hour traffic are frustrating and expensive. By taking commuting out of the picture (or shifting commutes to non-peak hours), employees go to work in a more relaxed, focused frame of mind.

Physical health. Working a standard nine-to-five schedule in an office can be detrimental to employees’ health – physically and mentally. More flexible work arrangements, however, allow employees to move around more, to eat more meals at home (and potentially make better food choices), and to recover more quickly when they fall ill.

Furthermore, studies show that employees who have some control over their work schedules and location of work report taking better care of themselves. This 2010 Cochrane research review of 10 studies showed that employees who “self scheduled” work improved a variety of health metrics, including:

Relationships. It’s pretty logical. When employees sleep better, experience less work-related and commute-induced stress, have fewer work-life conflicts, and have more time to spend with family, they are better spouses, parents and friends.

Work flex pays off.

Offer the workplace flexibility employees need, and you’ll get more than you give. Over time, your employees will reap immeasurable health and wellness benefits – which ultimately yield a happier, more productive team for your business.

Want to increase your work flex ROI?

Corps Team provides a full complement of solutions to support your workplace flexibility initiatives. Contact your local Corps Team office to learn more about our flexible professional staffing solutions.

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